The close-knit desert community of Joshua Tree, California takes center stage in this powerful, innovative book, in which Jenny Q—herbal practitioner, mother, music devotee, runner, and beloved proprietor of the local apothecary—survives sepsis, becomes a double amputee, and stubbornly makes her own map back to joy.
An impressive feat of collaborative non-fiction that takes risks with an experimental style and format to tell an amazing story of love, family, and perseverance.
— Love Bytes
In January of 2014, Joshua Tree's beloved herbalist Jenny Q fell suddenly and dramatically ill. Six days in a coma led to six months in the intensive care unit, fifty surgeries, and many near death moments. The event shocked and united Jenny's community. The volume of prayers and intentions sent her way was tangible, and arguably transformational. Jenny's community continued to hold her when she emerged from the ordeal and came home, with a radically changed body and a fire-tempered commitment to living life as fully as possible.
A year into Jenny's recovery, she began to write. She had much to say, but also many missing pieces. During her time in hospital she had been living so far inside of pain, she held only dreamy glimpses of that part of the story. So she reached out to her friends and family, for their stories of how this event touched them. The contributions from this wide cast of characters, which tell the tale from a multitude of outside perspectives, were edited by Jenny into a poetic page-tuner, and given depth by her own insightful, vulnerable, courageous writing. Jenny's passages provide a fascinating window into a range of rare experiences—the worlds encountered inside a coma, being ravaged by sepsis, the absolute alteration of losing one’s legs, the subtle venom of PTSD, the nightmare of opiate withdrawal.
Many stories run through the pages of Held Together. The powerful story of a mother’s love for her daughter. The family love story between a child and two women, holding onto each other for dear life. The story of how Jenny's Arab birth family and her eclectic Joshua Tree family held her and discovered themselves. The story of the fierce determination of a lover who stayed close by the side of her true friend.
Though Held Together ruthlessly explores dark and fearful places, it is also a celebration of the human will and the power of love. This experimental work will inspire and light a path, especially for those in struggle or in pain.
PRESS LINKS
“A sharp read filled with love, emotion, and unique perspectives.” — LOVE BYTES
“Held Together give you a new look on life, teaches you, guides and makes you want to be a stronger more supportive person.” —WRITERS N AUTHORS
“A story that everyone should read” —JUST REVIEWS
A BLUE MILLION BOOKS interview
RADIO & PODCAST LINKS
DESERT STORIES EPIC SPOKEN WORD EVENT — Jenny's performance at the Desert Stories spoken word event, with a well crafted story set to music written by Myshkin Warbler and performed by Kristin Gass. This was the first time Jenny shared any of her writings publicly.
TEDDY TALKS — Jenny read a couple of chapters from Held Together at the local event Teddy Talks, presented by Alice and hosted by the Beatnik in Joshua Tree.
JAMI GOLDMAN MARSEILLES — Jami, the first double amputee to complete a full and half marathon, took the time to encourage and inspire Jenny on her first run in prostheses. Jami’s story is an inspiring account of triumph over adversity and a woman's personal transformation from victim of tragic circumstance to world-record breaking athlete and author.