Everything I Couldn’t Tell My Mother The Book Signing

I’m sooooo exciiiiiteeed!!!!

After 6 months of planning and promotion we have finally arrived to the day before the book signing of Everything I Couldn’t Tell My Mother by Pauleanna Reid. This was originally going to be a post to give you one last chance to register to attend the signing tomorrow, but we sold out! We’re expecting way more than capacity, so it’s going to be awesome.

l have to say that when I started working with Pauleanna more than a year and half ago and she told me about this book, it immediately struck a chord. Without knowing anything about the book, I knew everything about the book. Upon hearing the name, a flood of thought and emotion came over me as I thought about my relationship with my own mother and what it would be like to finally share my entire story with her. Pauleanna overcame this challenge that many young girls face in her early twenties and our hope is that her courage and bravery will help other young girls and teens open up to their mothers or fathers or anyone who would listen, so that they receive the guidance they need to live as happy and healthy young adults.

Everything I Couldn’t Tell My Mother is a young adult fiction novel based on true experiences that Pauleanna lived herself. You’ll read about how Aaliyah Panarese, the main character, endured mean girls, bullying, sexual abuse and domestic violence, while trying to live up to a life and reputation her parents painted for her and while keeping her secrets and pain recorded in a diary to her mother.

I can’t say anymore because you have to read the book yourself, but I will say, it’s one of the most touching books that I’ve read in a while that jolted me into reality. While I may have lived out the up and down experiences of my teens and twenties, this book reminded me that there is still a generation behind me who are going through similar or worse experiences than Aaliyah did and I realize that it is the responsibility my generation and parents and adults of the generation before me to let the youth know that it’s ok to speak up and talk about the issues they are facing. So many teens turn to drugs, depression and suicide in some cases, because they keep everything inside and it eats away at them and eventually it consumes them.

So now that you know this, you have a bit of homework to do:

1. If you know any teens or young adults, do what you can to present yourself as a trustworthy and reliable source for listening. Sometimes people just need to say what’s on their mind and release it out of their system. Of course if it’s a serious situation, seek out help where possible. Also I know most of these people have their parents to talk to, but as you’ll see in the book, not all teens feel comfortable going to their parents. If you can’t encourage them to talk to mom and dad, then you become that shoulder they can lean on.

2. Buy and read the book! You can purchase at any one of these online bookstores: