This is a captivating and emotionally charged novel that explores the complex dynamics of family relationships, loss, and the struggle for personal healing. As someone enjoys deeply layered stories, I found this book to be a compelling read, filled with relatable themes and unexpected revelations.

The novel centers around Mallory Ward, a social worker dealing with the trauma of losing one of her clients, which forces her to reevaluate her career and personal life. Seeking solace, she returns to her childhood home on the Rhode Island coast, where she’s faced with not only the tensions between her and her estranged mother, Helen, but also unresolved heartbreak from her past. Helen, a death doula, carries the weight of her own secrets and regrets, which creates an emotional barrier between her and Mallory. As the two women attempt to rebuild their fragile relationship, long-buried truths threaten to tear them apart.

What I appreciated most about this novel is how Davis delves into the emotional complexities of her characters. Mallory’s inner turmoil, torn between her passion for helping at-risk youth and her unresolved feelings about her family, was written in a way that felt raw and authentic. Helen’s role as a death doula adds another layer to the story, bringing in themes of mortality and the weight of memories, which deeply resonated with me. The relationship between Mallory and Helen isn’t just about past grievances but also about forgiveness, understanding, and the struggle to bridge the gaps created by years of emotional distance.

The writing is both descriptive and thought-provoking, and the coastal setting beautifully mirrors the turbulent emotions of the characters. Davis’s pacing kept me engaged, with just the right balance of tension and reflection. While the plot twists were surprising, they felt organic to the story, and they heightened the emotional stakes in a way that made me eager to keep reading.

its a touching exploration of how the past shapes us and how, sometimes, facing that past is the only way to move forward. It’s a great read for anyone who enjoys novels about personal growth, family dynamics, and emotional reconciliation.

Mallory is a social worker for troubled teens. When one of her clients is brutally murdered she has a hard time coping. Mallory is put on leave from work to work on her mental health. She returns to her hometown she ran away from almost a decade ago. Mallory is forced to face the past and she learns secrets her mother as been keeping.

I loved this book. I am already a big fan of Barbara Davis and have read all of her books. This became an instant favorite. It will make you think about the choices you’ve made in your own life and how they lead you to where you are. It will have you asking yourself if I could do it all again would I do it all the same?

Mallory ran away from her old life to become a Social Worker in Boston only to one again find herself in a situation that she was forced to take a leave of absence and was told to really take a hard look at herself and what she really wanted to do with her career and future. Mallory finds her way back to her old town of Rhode Island coast and next to her true love that broke her heart 10 years ago. Mallory and her mother Helen have had a rough relationship as Mallory has a hard time with the work that her mother chose to do as a death Doula and became the keeper of many things including the beautiful home she lives in. Helen hopes and tries to repair the broken relationships between Mallory and herself and those of the Cavanaugh’s and finally reveal all the truths that need to be revealed.

Excellent story thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Mallory Ward, workswith young people who don;t have much in life, but she loves her job and when one of her clients is tragically killed, she wonders whether this job is really for her. She goes home to Rhode Island coast to think about what to do next Not having had a good relationship with her mother she is not expecting a welcome on her return home.
I loved this mother and daughter saga. Her retrun home opens up some wounds and when secrets are laid bare, along with some twists and turns this book turns into an intriguing read,

It is sometimes an emotional and for me personally, as I am estranged from my own mother made me question my own relationship.

It is a well written novel and I really enjoyed my reading time..

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

This was a good and heartfelt book. The character development was great, and the author made you feel each and every emotion.

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by new to me author B. Davis just blew my mind. Intriguing, the story is fantastic just like the writing, the twists and turns that had me guessing til the last page. This will be not my last read by her.
Blurb: For social worker Mallory Ward, working with at-risk youth is a calling. But when one of her clients is tragically killed, she finds herself at a crossroads. Despite long-held resentments toward her distant mother, Mallory retreats to her childhood home on the Rhode Island coast to contemplate her future. Instead, she’s confronted by her past, not only in the renewed tensions with her mother but in the unexpected appearance of a familiar face—and the wrenching losses that drove her away a decade ago.
Helen Ward’s home is filled with precious keepsakes from her patients, a testament to decades spent caring for the ill. Her work has always come first, though, leaving little time to connect with her daughter. Over the years, the rift between them has become a chasm, so when Mallory appears unannounced, Helen sees it as an opportunity to repair their broken relationship.
But hidden among Helen’s mementos are the keys to her past…and a terrible secret that threatens to destroy the fragile new trust between them forever.

I had enjoyed The Echo of Old Books by the same author and this book had that element that I was looking for. The concept worked well overall and thought the feel worked with what I was looking for in this genre. The characters were what I wanted in this world and thought the feel worked in this world. I'm excited to read where this series will go and thought this was great.