I was excited to read this book but unfortunately it didn't live up to all the hype I gave it. A family of 3 is each going through their own crisis in life and each has their own way of dealing...or not dealing with it.

The wife/mom Amy has just survived breast cancer, She's been through a lot and on top of all that has been hiding a secret she stumbled across. Instead of discussing it head on, she decided she needs to take a trip and get away from the struggles at her house.

Dad/husband Paul is an OK City police officer who is dealing with his own trauma that hasn't left him with all his police work. He's been there as much as he can for his wife and daughter but honestly needs someone to feel for him.

Carly, the daughter, is sent to live with her great aunt who runs a horse farm due to her actions as of late. What is supposed to be a punishment turns out to make a world of wonder for her.

Overall a good book about a family finding their way back together. I do think there was too many chapters about the trees Amy longs for.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy.

I loved this book. I do not know how I have not read this author’s work before. I highly recommend that everyone read this book. Just know that you will need to have tissues handy. From read the Acknowledgements, I learned that the author wrote this story based on her own experience, and I truly appreciate her honesty

A heart warming story of a family dealing with their Mother's cancer.. I loved the hopefulness in the story and the use of the beauty of nature and it's healing power. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Such a touching and emotional story told from three different viewpoints. Get your tissues ready. This was an intense emotional drama. This is a story about a family's journey of survival. 5+ stars! This was a nice palate cleanser after reading thrillers most of the summer.

Amy Bergstrom has survived cancer. She should now be figuring out how to get control of her life back. Instead, she discovers something her husband Paul has planned, and it is not a trip to Paris. Amy retreats to Washington, a state that is full of childhood memories, and where she hopes to discover what comes next. Paul is struggling with demons of his own. PTSD has made him someone he isn't comfortable with, and he is about to embark on a journey of his own. Their daughter Carly is staying with her great aunt Rae, as she too is faced with some hard challenges. She may inherit the same disease as her mother, and finding a way to plan for a future that may not happen leaves her lost and confused.
As you can probably tell, the Bergstrom family is going through a lot. Each of them has life lessons to learn separately before they can try to fix their broken family. It is not an easy read, but definitely a worthwhile journey. It was quite emotional at times, and this family truly captured my heart. Amy, Paul, and Carly were well-developed characters, but my favorite was Aunt Rae. I wish that I was lucky enough to have an aunt like her! A story that will pull you in, perfect for a cold January day.

I really struggled with this book, and it seemed like it took me forever to get through. Going in,I thought it had a lot of promise but I found it very drawn out and wordy. It fell flat and was just not my cup of tea.

Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy.

What’s Worth Keeping is a life-affirming novel that explores important themes such as love, family, perseverance, and finding your way when you feel lost. Not only that, it is full of wonderful imagery and metaphor. From Oklahoma City to Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State, McLaren imbues the novel with a definite sense of place, from the South Central plains to magical, forested mountaintops.

This is the story of Amy, Paul, and Carly – a woman, her husband, and their teenage daughter – who are all lost and floundering in life. Amy is a recent cancer survivor recovering from a double mastectomy and hysterectomy. Paul, many years later, is still suffering post-traumatic stress disorder from his role as a first responder at the Oklahoma City Bombing. Carly is angry and lashing out over her fear that she will be overcome with cancer like her mother and grandmother; and is also questioning the fruitfulness of going to college as she planned.

What’s Worth Keeping is based on the author’s own experience with breast cancer, treatment, and recovery, which gives the story a strong sense of authenticity. It starts out with a scene of Amy sorting through her clothing and deciding “what’s worth keeping” and what should be donated, an apt metaphoric theme for the novel, as Amy, Paul, and Carly struggle with putting their lives in order. The unsung star of the show, however, is Amy’s Aunt Rae, a wise and feisty wrangler of Clydesdale horses, who firmly, but gently, helps Amy, Paul, and Carly see what is truly meaningful and what can be discarded.

If I had any complaints, it would be that while McLaren has excellent usage of symbolism and analogy, it does at times feel a bit heavy-handed. And, occasionally, scenes such as Paul’s home remodeling project are over-explained, as if the average reader doesn’t have the capacity to understand simple construction techniques.

Despite these couple of small bumps in the road, I do recommend the novel as I did really enjoy it. I especially loved traveling across the country with Amy from Oklahoma City to the Pacific Northwest, sharing with her the novelty and beauty of each of the National Parks along the way (I have some new places on my bucket list!). Also, Aunt Rae is a true kick in the pants, with rustic yet astute advice for every situation – I found myself wishing I could plunk right down into one of her horse camping trips with those beautiful Clydesdales.

A big thank you to Kaya McLaren, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of What’s Worth Keeping in exchange for this honest review. What’s Worth Keeping is available January 19, 2021 from St. Martin’s Griffin, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press.

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At first I thought that this family was only in need of therapy and all would be fine. Ha. Having not been i Amy's shows as a breast cancer survivor, I have no idea how long that road is to recovery not only of body, but of mind, too. My apologies to Amy! As far as her husband, who survived being part of the rescue team at the OK bombing site, I can understand how counseling, while it might help him deal with the trauma of what he saw, would ruin him in the police work as a weakling who needed counseling. What a shame those who really could benefit from it would be penalized in other ways. Carly, teenage daughter definitely could have used counseling, but her parents were too broken at that point.
Great-Aunt Rae to the rescue, but did she have to be called all that each time her name was mentioned, sometimes 5 or 6 times per page? How about shorten it to hey auntie? That was annoying.
Other than that, I liked the story, but could have used less of the national parks. Yes, they are beautiful, but did each one have to be mentioned? It was overkill and I felt I was reading a geography book or the actual park pass Amy was intent on visiting. It was a bit much for someone who was recovering and maybe could have been condensed with future plans to see others?
Overall a good story, but those couple of things were too much. Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Cancer is a scary word. It wrecks havoc not only on the person that has it but everyone around them. Amy Bergstrom has survived. It has had a serious impact on her life and those around her. But that’s not the only thing that is having an impact. Her husband, Paul, is going through his own silent crisis. Their daughter, Carly, is a high school graduate and on the cusp of adulthood and with that comes its own set of growing pains. Their story and journey is told from each of their POVs giving a clear look at their emotions and insight to thoughts and decisions. It shows how communication is key and failure to express oneself can lead to unintended consequences. They are each victims in their own way. They are devastated and angry. They are falling apart. As they each journey on a path to strength and healing it’s easy to feel exactly what they are experiencing. I understood where they were coming from even though I have no personal knowledge of the disease or it’s effects. I appreciated the positive affirmation and belief that it was better to focus on who they are as humans and not be identified by a diagnosis or event.

My complaint is it did drag a bit. I feel guilty for saying that because the story is inspirational, but it got to a point where I felt it wasn’t really moving and became boring.

This is a wonderful story of what if's. Amy is finishing up her cancer treatment and dealing with the fact that her husband has filled out divorce papers. He's hidden them in a drawer but the date shows he was going to serve them on the day of her diagnosis. So now Amy is trying to find inner peace in the primal forests of Washington. Paul thought he wanted to set his wife free from his moods and PTSD of his police job when she was diagnosed with cancer. He's retreated to New Mexico to think about the future. Their daughter is devastated to learn that Mom's cancer is hereditary. The three get help from an elderly aunt and a horse to heal. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book had so much potential. A family going through a crisis, each with their own baggage. I just didn't really care that much about them. I had to force myself to finish.

Amy, the wife, has just been through a breast cancer ordeal. She finds divorce papers and instead of discussing them with her husband, goes off on a journey from Oklahoma City to the Pacific Northwest. It seemed so selfish, especially since her 18 year old daughter was struggling with the aftermath of her mom's cancer battle.

Paul, the husband, is an Oklahoma City police officer who has been traumatized by the things he's lived through. In a lot of ways, I felt more for him than for Amy.

Carly, the daughter, is sent to live with her great aunt who runs a horse farm. It just made me mad that her parents kind of dumped her - even though it ended up being for the best.

Great Aunt Rae is my favorite character. Feisty and outspoken.

I felt like I read way too much about the plants and flowers and trees that Amy encountered and not enough about family and relationships and being there for each other. Something just fell flat.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley.

This book was very touching. I could relate to some of what Amy, the mother, was going through as I am near to completing my treatment for breast cancer. It is a whole new world.

The story is told from the viewpoints of Paul, the husband/father, Carly, the teen-aged daughter, and Amy. Each is hurting and no one seems to be able to talk to either of the others. Reaching resolution-- or not-- comprises the meat of the story.

What's Worth Keeping is well-written and relatable on different levels. Each character seeks comfort and healing from their wounds and each finds it in a different place. The question is, will they be able to form a new family dynamic that is perhaps stronger at the broken places..

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

I was hoping for something along the lines of Sally Hepworth but this one just did not have the depth I was looking for.
I liked that there are multiple characters who are on separate but potentially converging as they come together. The story itself was just not what I was looking for.

I really wanted to enjoy this one but I don't think McLaren's writing style or story telling style was for me. I don't know that I am the target demographic for this book because it just didn't stick for me. I think this would be good for someone looking for an introspective look into life's difficulties.

An emotionally challenging battle with breast cancer is one of the 'beneath the surface' struggles faced by the Bergstrom family. The depth of the compassion could only be written by a breast cancer survivor.

Amy's 47th birthday finds her reassessing her life with her new mutilated body. Paul, her husband, is an Oklahoma City cop burying the horror of the rescue part he played in the bombing that rocked the U.S., works the night shift so he can look care of Amy during the day. Carly, their teenage daughter, has spent her senior year of high school being the night shift caregiver to her mother during her cancer surgeries and treatments.

How this family each face their own fears and how they survive individually and as a family make this an emotional experience for the reader.

Well done Kaya McLaren.

Okay. This book was okay.

I thought this book had a lot of potential considering the subject matter. This could have been a deep and raw story about a woman overcoming loss, but it honestly fell so short.

I felt as if this book lacks serious character development. When I should have been interested in Amy's journey, I found her husband Paul's story to be far more interesting and well rounded.

This book was incredibly safe. There was no real raw and earth-shattering moments. Everyone just sorted figured themselves out without much conflict. I also felt as though the author could have been far more daring with her word choices. I thought this was a very PG-rated novel.

I found this book boring and repetitive and honestly, it didn't make me feel much of anything. The writing style was alright, but overall it was a lackluster story.

I echo the other reviewers here to prepare yourself for a profoundly sad read. This one took me awhile to get through because it was so profoundly sad. Not perhaps one that I would recommend in 2020, but certainly a compelling and well written read. :)

The title drew me to read this novel,given to me by NetGalley to review.
Amy, a young mother of Carly, who just graduates high school, lost and in the wrong group of freinds with no goals of after High School life.
Paul,her husband who workes in the police force , and has been through traumatic experiences in his job,including the Oklahoma Cuty bombings time.
The hero in this story(I feel) is Aunt Rae, who owns a horse ranch i New Mexico. Plus a few horses,, T Rex, one of Carly's old time horse she used to nap with in the barn when she was a child.
Amy discovers another bombshell, papers Paul keeps secret from her. he hasnt given her thes epapers,but she decides to leave the house and seek her own healing in the Washington State Parks where she grew up as a child.
Getting her State Park Passbook stamped at every campsite,this is her goal and by herself. She is fond of the many trees in these campsites and needs this healing time to herself.
Paul takes CArly to Aunt Rae's horse ranch, without her knowledge in the car. Perhaps she can re-discover herself far away from her bad crowd. . Carly has chances to run away but finds a freind in Aunt Rae, and in the
offered summer job there.
Paul also realizes he needs time himself to seek answers, and fix up the fixer upper dream house he had bought ages ago. His role as a detective never allowed enough time to go back there and work on the house.
This is a better time than any, especially when he ends up being suspended a month.
This is a story of triumph and each family member fighting battles, but the greatest battle is Amy's with her breast cancer. She has strength and faith and it shows throughout this novel, not to let the beast...cancer, take her down. I feel her own personal story having breast cancer, helped her write this beautiful novel and what it does in a persons journey trying to fight not only the disease,but fighting to keep a family going and a story of hope and faith with one another.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and review this heroic story.

What's Worth Keeping by Kaya McLaren is an emotional journey into the heart of a family. Told in alternating viewpoints between Amy, Paul, and Carly, all have experienced their own traumas and will spend a summer apart on their own journeys. Mom Amy has endured breast cancer. Dad Paul has had to cope with PTSD. And, daughter Carly is dealing with the emotional repercussions of both.

This is a book that will stick with readers after the last page.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for sharing a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.