You are safe. You are loved. You are good. These are the words Serenity Shepherd whispers to her son—the words no one ever said to her. Growing up as the perfect pastor's daughter meant learning to disappear behind smiles, to swallow truth like poison, to believe that love always came with conditions. It meant surviving in plain sight while everyone praised her father's holy work. But bodies remember what minds try to forget. And when the past refuses to stay buried, Serenity must choose between the silence that's slowly destroying her and a truth that could destroy everything else. From a childhood shadowed by stained glass and scripture to motherhood that becomes her salvation, this is a story about breaking cycles, finding voice, and discovering that sometimes the most sacred act is refusing to be quiet. A fictionalized memoir drawn from the author's own journey of survival and healing, It Happens Here Too: The Shepherd's Daughter is a luminous debut novel about religious trauma, the long road to recovery, and the revolutionary power of speaking your truth. Some voices are worth breaking the silence for.
