BY THE AUTHOR
Pennsylvania, 1936. Six-year-old Josie Carter never expects to wake up one morning in a hospital bed with a chronic health diagnosis: paralytic poliomyelitis. Being so young, Josie doesn’t understand what this means for her, but she soon discovers that she will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, battling for her health. While Josie reels from the bitter loss of her health, her mom helps her find something she can do despite what she now can’t. In the process, Josie discovers something she most likely wouldn’t have if not for her health diagnosis.
New York, 1951. Now a young adult, Josie sets out for a small town in New York to stay at her aunt and cousin’s unoccupied home for the summer. While there, Josie is offered two unexpected things: a job and a friendship with her neighbor’s son. But blessings and setbacks go hand in hand, and when life deals Josie a devastating blow, it brings her to another unexpected place in life—one that changes her forever.
Just days away from Germany’s surrender, Lucy Skyes never expects to receive the same telegram that thousands of families across the world did since the start of World War Two: A notice of her brother’s death in the service of his country. While reeling from the shock of losing her best friend, Lucy receives a letter from someone who knew her brother and can tell her two things she desperately wants to know: What her brother’s life was like in the army, and who is responsible for his death.
Jeremiah Sparrow wakes up in an army hospital unable to remember what put him there, why he can’t hear anything, or who he lost. When memories resurface of a plane crash, a parachute, and a friend, Jeremiah harbors deep guilt and secrets. Jeremiah sends a letter of his own to Lucy—and his words open a door that may cost him more than he realizes.
Everyone has secrets to unearth and stories to tell. War, loss, and letters—they are a lot like yellow tape: Once you cross that line, there is no going back. And sometimes, what you expect to find on the other side looks nothing like you imagined it to.
-Alissa J. Zavalianos, author of Endlewood
“The Memories We Painted is evocative as much as it is moving. Miller writes with lyrical proficiency and depth, mixing grief and hope on its palette and painting something stunningly beautiful. With strong family ties and themes of stalwart friendship and unconditional love, this novel is breathless, inspiring, and timeless.”
-Michelle Shocklee, award-winning author of Under the Tulip Tree and Count the Nights by Stars
"Caitlin Miller beautifully illustrates the healing power of words that come from a place of honest regret and authentic forgiveness. Love, friendship, brotherhood, and sacrifice are explored through letters with such depth and realness, the reader truly feels they've experienced the unforgettable days of World War II right alongside the characters in this masterfully written epistolary novel. I cannot recommend this book highly enough."