Thank you for this early release copy. I’m sorry for the delay in my review. This book is compelling and important. I appreciate the care taken in depicting a difficult and often hidden component of motherhood. Characters were compelling. Plot moved.
I would be happy to speak with Kalyn about appearing on the Mayo Clinic Read.Talk.Grow podcast. If interested, email us at readtalkgrow@mayo.edu

Like Kalyn Fogarty's previous novel this one was also a great read.

Everything's Still There is a book I will definitely be recommending.

Brynn and Kyle are the first time parents of Cody. They recently moved to Salem, Massachusetts and haven’t really developed a network to support their new lives, and Brynn is flailing. After a long night, she and Cody venture out of their house to meet her neighbor, Joy, an older woman who’s lived in Salem for a long time.
The book starts in mid-May and primarily focuses on the next five months in the lives of this new mother and her 80-something neighbor.. Both storylines were genuine and the characters were all well-developed. I would have liked to see more about Joy’s adult children.
Everything’s Still There has a great commentary about social media as well as an interesting twist on finding your own family (when your biological family has challenges). I especially loved the character of Joy and wanted to give her a hug and yell at her children.
Thanks to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read Everything’s Still There in exchange for an honest review.

I will not be providing feedback on this book for I had not the opportunity to read it before it got archived! However, I am still interested in reading this book and I’m hoping to review it in the future on my social media platforms!

Awww 😢
Sweet, tender, heartbreaking.
Two women at opposing stages of life who form an unlikely friendship that helps them both truly survive.
Also a treatise on the challenges of new motherhood.

This was such an emotional one to read!! All the worries and anxieities as a parent have been penned wonderfully well, and we are left thinking that thankfully we aren't alone in this crazy job called parenting.

Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy!

Finally a book about motherhood that isn't either fluff nor ugly. It's honest and real and takes me back to 22 years ago when I began my journey into motherhood. The book is well written. It addresses the feeling of isolation and that you aren't doing a good enough job. I appreciate that even though Brynn looks like she has it all together she struggles, hard. This book is as close to real life as I've read from any author. I love the unexpected relationship between Brynn and Joy. This is the book that should be given out with the "What to Expect" books....mother's need to know this reality exists.

Excellent book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who isn't sure if they are doing this parenting gig just right.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review! I will happily add Kalyn Fogarty to my list of new favorite authors!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful book by Kalyn Fogarty - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Brynn is a new mother to Cody and struggling. She was a planner in her "before" life and nothing about Cody's birth or her mothering ability has gone according to plan. To make things worse, she constantly compares herself to the instagram moms, who do it all, have it all, and look great doing it. She sees some lights in the dark and follows them the next day to a neighbor's house. There, elderly Joy is a refuge to Brynn - listens to her, is able to comfort Cody. For Joy, these visits are sorely welcome as well - she knows loneliness and heartache.

I really loved this book - each woman's story felt true and their intergenerational relationship was heartwarming. They each provided a safe place for the other's secrets. A story of postpartum depression and anxiety, of loneliness, of aging, of the pitfalls of social media, this story will resonate with so many women. This one made me tear up, which is a rare thing for me when reading! I also loved the Virginia Woolf quotes from To the Lighthouse - they were perfect companions to each chapter. Highly recommended!

Everything’s Still There by Kalyn Fogarty really punched me in the gut. This novel made me feel seen. I must say that Fogarty captured new motherhood perfectly. My gosh, did this novel ever take me back to my early “first-time-mom” days, and it even made me a bit emotional. I was never officially diagnosed with postpartum anxiety, but I know that I had it. I’ve always been an anxious person, but my anxiety levels definitely skyrocketed after I became a new mom. There’s no doubt about that. So yes, I related to the main character, Brynn Hallman like you would not believe. Motherhood can be beautiful, joyous, and rewarding, but it can also be very miserable, exhausting, and lonely. It’s an experience that definitely changed me, and will forever define me.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Multiple perspectives and timelines
- Honest, harsh, and realistic looks at new motherhood
- Stories about postpartum depression and anxiety
- Themes of marriage and parenthood
- Emotional reads
- Character-driven novels
- Unlikely friendships
- Female friendship
- Found family
- Ilona Bannister’s novels

This novel is very thoughtful, raw, and well written. The author handled the harsh realities of new motherhood with extreme care. Everything’s Still There releases on May 2nd, and it gets 4.5/5 stars from me! Highly recommend!

Kalyn Fogarty's debut novel, What We Carry is one of my most recommended books because of the way it made me feel seen throughout the fear and uneasiness of a pregnancy after loss. Now that I have read her upcoming release Everything's Still There, I am confident that her books are must reads for all mothers, aspiring mothers and their friends and family.

This book focused on Byrnn, a new mom of a newborn, and her unlikely friendship with elderly neighbour. Brynn is experiencing post partum depression, and has become isolated from almost everyone around her, including her friends and husband.

Throughout this book, we get to see the ups, and downs of motherhood, and watch a new mom struggle with who exactly she needs to be to be the best for her baby (there is no perfect, right answer here). The struggles Brynn faces are so real and relatable, it dives into the pressures of early motherhood perfectly. I don't think there can ever be enough books like this that deal with big topics like this in truthful ways.

I'm a sucker for a dual timeline/flashback tale, and this book has exactly that.

Kalyn Fogarty is now on my auto buy, must read and share author list, and I absolutely can not wait to see what she comes out with next.

If you haven't read What We Carry, I highly recommend picking it up while you wait for Everything's Still Here to come out at the beginning of May.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Kalyn Fogarty for allowing me to read this ARC in return for an honest review.
Being a mother, full of love and hope for your child, always presents a little nagging feeling that you might not be a good parent. For some young mothers, like Brynn, and older mothers, like Joy, questions about parenting and life can weigh them down to a point where it’s hard to function. Brynn, a worn-out new mom, takes her wailing son for a walk, meeting her lovely older neighbor, and a life-long friendship begins. Can these two women help each other with their life problems, despite their age differences?
This is a delightful, heart-warming story of navigating motherhood and life.

An unlikely and chance friendship saves two women by binding them in ways they could not have expected. Brynn's a new mom who is struggling with the realities. Joy is in her 80s and thinking back with regret. Each has something to offer the other and this gentle novel reminds the reader that life has both ups and downs. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Another great book from this author! I love stories that delve into the challenges of early motherhood and this one certainly doesn't shy away from the tough topics people are all too often afraid to admit or talk about! Told in alternating perspectives from new mother Brynn who is struggling with mom-guilt and undiagnosed post-partum depression and anxiety and her elderly neighbor, Joy who becomes the friend and confidante Brynn didn't know she needed.

I related to so much of this story! It brought back all the struggles of that first year of becoming a new mother. From raw nipples, latching problems, mom-guilt, blow-outs, feeling touched out, adjusting to your new body, not feeling comfortable in your new body or desirable or wanting to engage in intimacy at all. There's also the extra layer of guilt/envy every mom feels watching the seemingly 'perfect' mom's doing it all on social media.

Highly recommended for fans of books like When I ran away by Ilona Bannister or Just like home by Sarah Gailey. We need more books like this one that normalize the hardships and mental health struggles so many women experience as new mothers. The post-partum depression, anxiety and therapy rep in this book were excellent! I also adored the intergenerational friendship between Joy and Brynn and how we got to hear about Joy's heartbreaking journey to motherhood that included so many miscarriages and bouts of loneliness with an often absent husband.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review.

Such a wonderful gem! I was surprised by this one and how often I highlighted passages, both because they were beautifully written and insightful but also because I felt them on a personal level.

Brynn is a first-time new mom who seems to have the perfect life…loving husband, financial security, able to be a stay-at-home mom by choice. But she struggles to do everything right…care for her son Cody, take care of her home, be a good wife, make new mom friends…all glorified by social media advice from supposedly perfect women. She’s struggling.

Joy is an octogenarian living alone (around the corner from Brynn) with children who are too caught up in their own lives to give her the attention/love that she needs. She spends much of her time reminiscing on her past and regretting many of her decisions/actions regarding both her children and her husband Freddie.

As the two women accidentally meet, they find what each need in the other. This book is definitely not all roses and sweetness. It hits on some difficult issues in life. Post partum depression, dealing with grief and loss, social media “perfection”, the loneliness of isolation (both literal and self-imposed) … all are covered here. But while there are heart wrenching moments, it’s the bond and strength of these two women that shines and gives this story its backbone.

Loved this one (and Brynn and Joy!). Definitely Recommended and so glad I discovered it.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing the free early arc of Everything’s Still There for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Brynn is a new mother struggling to adjust when her idealized vision of motherhood doesn’t align with reality. One day while Brynn is on a walk with her infant son, she meets an elderly neighbor named Joy. The two strike up an unlikely friendship, each finding comfort and support in the other.

I was touched to the core by this tender and heartfelt novel of found family. The story develops gently and gradually but is heavy with emotional themes of love, loss, grief, and heartache. The raw and unflinching examination of early motherhood is a searing commentary on societal expectations and social media. The depiction of postpartum depression is so authentic; anyone who has ever endured PPD will feel seen and validated. Brynn and Joy are compelling, relatable, and vulnerable, and their connection is heartwarming. The symbolism of lighthouses, depicting the ways in which the women are a beacon and shelter to each other, is poetic and moving.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Brynn Hallman, a former professional party planner who is now a stay-at-home parent, always envisioned herself as Cody’s ideal mother. But, a slew of medical issues derail her ambitions and throw her off balance. Brynn’s sadness worsens as a result of poor reality TV and a developing fixation with an Instagram parenting influencer. She withdraws from her pre-baby pals and tells her husband Kyle that everything is OK. Brynn notices a flashing light across her yard in the early morning hours from her back porch. Could it be a trick of her drowsy eyes? She steps outside the home for the first time in weeks to look for the light’s source. She will be drawn into the unusual life of a new acquaintance as a result of what she discovers, which will make her face the demands of parenthood and her evolving identity.

Kalyn Fogarty’s “Everything’s Still There” is certain to take a welcoming position in the canon of literature since it is infused with an emotional resonance that will appeal to lovers of Ann Napolitano but is cast in a unique voice. This tale focuses on motherhood in its most basic form. Not everything is lovely and simple; there are times when we are not prepared for that level of difficulty, and women are harshly criticized as a result. In this tale, women band together to support one another in ways they might not be aware of.

The characters are endearing and grow in a lovely, gentle manner. Interesting with a pleasant conclusion. This book tells the touching tale of an odd relationship while also taking a brutally honest look at parenting in the current day, complete with all of its harsh demands and exaggerated expectations. The author depicts the wonder and anxiety of being a new mother with painful reality, as well as the extra pressures that come from comparing ourselves to the fake perfection displayed on social media. A great movie might be made from this tale.

I’ve been going back and forth with whether I should DNF or not the entire time. I have no doubt Brynn’s experience can be helpful for other moms struggling and wanting to feel seen. But this book just isn’t my cup of tea. The writing style and meandering thoughts with every minute detail described isn’t for me- it’s too boring and slow so it’s not holding my attention. DNF at 120 pages

💫 Everything’s Still There 💫
By Kalyn Fogarty
Publisher: Alcove Press (May 2.2023)
Genre: fiction

“Your hands told your true age, and your eyes the age of your soul”

Where The Push by Ashley Audrain focused on thriller aspects of writing around post partum destress, Kalyn Fogarty manages to deal with the same theme but in an emotional fiction way. Both equally shedding back how tough the early years can be and allowing readers who relate to find a connection.

Brynn is the young mother who believed she knew what life after having a baby would be like. She was a high achiever and knew it would be just like social media suggests… easy and picture worthy. It’s only after her traumatic birth that she realizes that perfection is not something anyone could equate with having a child.

Joy is a neighbour with a ghost of a past. Her grown children are gone and she’s contemplating even in her 80’s where she went wrong and how she could have missed the important parts of her life when all she was busy doing was trying to survive.

Both women find the connection they need. The new mother, lost and overwhelmed; the older woman who is in the light years of her life. It’s only when they find each other and start their own honesty that they find their way…. As Joy insinuates, it can all relate to finding their lighthouse. And the hope for the light (of connections) that help someone out of their darkness.

This book is about mothering in its rawest forms. It’s going to be one that the reader who is struggling with find themselves and yet one that may be hard to read. The gentle spotlight on perfection and the pressures of getting “it right” may be fiction but I believe something every mother feels these days. It doesn’t shy away from painful moments nor does it gloss the happy days.. what it does is show how everyone needs to find their light. Find that connection. Mothering is both beautiful and the hardest thing you will ever do, in equal measures, and anyone who says otherwise is lying.

Something about Kalyn’s books that pull back the emotions in a way that feels both fictionalized and memoir like. It’s the voice that can be the lifeline for any reader that has felt these emotions. So appreciate her voice of emotions… especially with the idea of perfection being so widely assumed on social media.

Thanks to the author & @avon for the gifted copy in return for an honest review.

I received a digital ARC from Alcove Press through NetGalley.

This is a story of women coming together to help each other in ways they do not even realize. The reader meets Brynn - a new mom, and Joy - a grandmother. Their unlikely friendship is both heart-breaking, and heart-warning.

Everything’s Still There is the second Kalyn Fogarty novel I’ve read, and I’ll be sure to read more. In this story, Fogarty presents a truly relatable character in Brynn, party planner turned stay-at-home mother, who learns that society’s portrayal of and expectations for motherhood are false and misleading. And then we have Joy, another authentic character, completely unexpected but necessary for Brynn’s path forward. The book is heartwarming and honest, a look at how an unlikely friendship can come along at just the right moment.