The Words We Keep

By: Erin Stewart

Narrated by: Phoebe Strole

WINNER OF THE SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD FOR TEENS!

A beautifully realistic, relatable story about mental health—anxiety, perfectionism, depression—and the healing powers of art—perfect for fans of Girl in Pieces and How it Feels to Float. Whatever you struggle with, you are not alone and you are already enough—just the way you are.

It's been three months since The Night on the Bathroom Floor--when Lily found her older sister Alice hurting herself. Ever since then, Lily has been desperately trying to keep things together, for herself and for her family. But now Alice is coming home from her treatment program and it is becoming harder for Lily to ignore all of the feelings she's been trying to outrun.

Enter Micah, a new student at school with a past of his own. He was in treatment with Alice and seems determined to get Lily to process not only Alice's experience, but her own. Because Lily has secrets, too. Compulsions she can't seem to let go of and thoughts she can't drown out.

When Lily and Micah embark on an art project for school involving finding poetry in unexpected places, she realizes that it's the words she's been swallowing that desperately want to break through.


"A tender, heartfelt, and realistic look at mental illness, familial love, and finding your voice."—Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

Critic reviews

Praise for The Words We Keep:

A SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD FOR TEENS WINNER!

★ "A sprawling, engrossing read, Stewart’s latest succeeds in mapping out the toll of anxiety disorder with scrupulous, cleareyed detail. Above all, however, there’s an overpowering sense of hope underlined by an achingly sincere message: Speak up and get help if needed. Indispensably candid."—Kirkus, starred review

★ "An excellent choice."—SLJ, starred review

★ “In Lily’s frank, forthcoming voice, Stewart mingles Lily’s love of words—blackout poetry, social media posts coining terms that should exist—with specific descriptions of anxiety disorder–related distress that will resonate with many readers.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Wild, beautiful, and free. The Words We Keep is a poetic page turner. A raw, relatable story of mental illness, romance, and the power of love.”—Jennifer Niven, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places

"A gorgeous and deeply touching rumination on the power of art, this book is for anyone who has lost their words and lost their way. The Words We Keep is a tender, heartfelt, and realistic look at mental illness, familial love, and finding your voice."—Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces and You'd Be Home Now

"The Words We Keep is a luminous exploration into the restorative power of love and art. The only thing it contains more of than poetry is raw, unfiltered hope. This book is a healing balm to a wounded heart."—Jeff Zentner, Morris Award–winning author of In the Wild Light

“Stewart offers a realistic portrait of Lily's lonely battle.”—Buffalo News

really enjoyed

every teenager should read should read thi book. very impactful for the day and age. great ideas,

TRUTH

this book was so relatable. These thoughts are often impossible to express much less get people to understand how it feels.

Helped me understand my mental health

I found myself relating to things Lily would do, think, say. I was able to understand myself more by listening to Lily’s story. It’s a really well written book and i would recommend!

Amazing

This book made me relate so well to my anxiety and depression. This book makes you feel like your feelings are real, valid and known. This book was the best book I’ve ever read. It had so many different plots, anxiety, depression, self harm, love, heartbreaks and drama but real like scenarios. 10/10 

Recommended

This is not a genre I usually read but I really enjoyed the author's previous work. Wonderfully complex characters on a just as intricate journey. The subject matter could be heavy and yet I also found myself laughing out loud (not at the same moments). I do not write many reviews but felt compelled to recommend this, Erin Stewart is a national treasure.