The Past That Made Us
by Kelly Marks
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Pub Date 2 Sep 2025 | Archive Date 16 Oct 2025
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Description
Some goodbyes don’t last forever—especially in a town like St. Bell.
Millie Carpenter has built her life around control. A work-obsessed loner, she’s long believed the only person she can count on is herself—a belief shaped by a painful childhood and years of estrangement. But when a cancer diagnosis shatters her carefully ordered world, she’s forced to accept help from the last person she ever expected: her mother.
Returning to the seaside town of St. Bell, Maine, means confronting everything Millie thought she’d left behind—old grief, buried memories, and the man who once held her heart. The golden boy turned lobsterman who vanished when she needed him most.
As chemo drains her strength, Millie faces more than just the physical toll of illness. Long-suppressed wounds begin to resurface—and so do the people who might help her heal, if she can find the courage to let them.
Now, with the biggest fight of her life ahead, Millie must choose: keep running from the past, or embrace the messy, beautiful possibility of second chances.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
"The Past That Made Us by Kelly Marks is a hopeful story for challenging times featuring a likable character who faces familiar struggles and whom readers will identify with. Through Millie’s deftly crafted story, Marks offers a poignant glimpse into the life of an independent woman struggling with childhood trauma whose life is suddenly upended. The author nails Millie’s voice as she narrates the story, revealing her emotions and creating an engaging, candid read. Millie’s journey home and her connection with new and old friends and family are a beautiful ode to human relationships and the power of forgiveness and new beginnings. The Past That Made Us is a gem of a story featuring true-to-life characters and timeless themes." - Readers' Favorite
"The Past That Made Us is a story of hope despite the odds: cancer, trauma, and stubbornness. The complexities of rekindling broken relationships and the newfound hope that flourishes out of hardship are all written with breathtaking detail and thoughtful prose. I was so wrapped up in this novel, it even made me cry. Twice!" - Independent Book Review
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Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9798891327665 |
| PRICE | US$16.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 298 |
