An Interview with Shell Norman

Shell, tell our readers about yourself and the areas in which you purposefully interact with women.

As a former high school teacher, the role of mentor is a natural extension of my vocation, especially with young women coming into adulthood. I have cultivated relationships with former students and still keep in touch with many women starting their own families and careers. Also, I have two adult daughters and three granddaughters with whom I am very involved.

I plug in with writing groups, women’s church studies and book clubs where I contribute and occasionally lead the discussion, most recently on the study of Jane Eyre.

My book is not only for women, yet by the title, you can surmise that the story will resonate with daughters of all ages.

Why did you write this particular book, and do you have a history that contributed?

I wrote the book to encourage people to stand firm in who they were created to be, regardless of circumstances, especially ghosts of the past.

I have a family history of alcoholism, parents in a tenuous marriage, secrets and deception. However, love still flowed. I write about the past without bitterness. Forgiveness and redemption abound.

So, where do you get your strength when going through life’s tough challenges?

I have a strong faith, and that faith comes through in this book. Not in a didactic way at all but definitely rooted in being created with a purpose and placed on earth with intention. My story shows challenges (or trauma, though that word is becoming tired), but the overarching theme is “overcoming”.

Tell us about your book and how it will benefit us.

We all address at one point or another that question: Who am I?

If you have ever felt the foundation crack below you, this story will inspire you to climb back up to solid ground. Certainly, readers who are Adult Children of Alcoholics (COAs) will relate to the vignettes in this book. If you have felt the bonds of family severed, this story will resonate with you. If you have struggled with the imperfections of your parents, this story will inspire you to forgive.

The book explores the dynamics of family and how our experiences mold us. It features a father/daughter relationship that inspires beauty and love. Loss, brokenness and trauma cause an identity crisis that is only overcome through faith and the love that was planted in my DNA from the start. One reviewer put it this way: “Shell’s writing is honest without being bitter. Emotional without being overdone. You can feel the love and pain on every page.”

Nature vs. Nurture addressed. “Blood is thicker than water” explored.

Shell, is there anywhere else that we may access your writing?

I have a publication on Substack called Stories With Shell. These 5-minute narratives flesh out similar themes as my book but are stand alone, separate creative nonfiction. Particularly, one called “Come Walk With Me” provides a little more background to my book. You can find those stories at shellnorman.com.

You will also see me on a new publishing imprint called Fire & Feast Books. https://fireandfeastbooks.com/

Shell, thank you so much for joining our Women2Women community and being our Cover Girl for this issue!

We all will want to read your book, so where may we purchase it?

Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Subscribe to our Women2Women newsletter to find out when Shell will be at Beloved Books/Bridge Street Brewtique in Linden for a book signing and reading along the Shiawassee River.