Both Can Be True
- Judith D Collins
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 22 hours ago
Narrators:Jessica Guerrier, Helen Laser,
Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, Rebecca Lowman ISBN: 9781400345984
Publisher: Harper Muse
Publictaion Date: 05/19/2026
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
When a local mother goes missing, two estranged sisters are pulled back into each other’s lives and forced to confront old wounds, fractured trust, and the many ways a woman can disappear in plain sight.
Frankie is the funny one, full of restless energy and sharp edges, the sister who got sober, opened a bookstore, and slipped into a version of domestic life without ever fully confronting the past. Mere is the steady one, the caretaker, a mother quietly unraveling under the demands of her neurodivergent daughter and the loneliness of a marriage to a husband who sees the world through an entirely different lens.
For the Gilmore sisters, losing their mother to cancer at a young age gave them a brief window of closeness they’ve never been able to reclaim. But over the years, a mentally ill father, the unspoken trauma of sexual violence, and the different vices they turned to for survival fractured their bond and created a divide of resentment neither of them could bring themselves to cross. When a woman in Frankie’s social circle disappears, the sisters are pulled into a shared reckoning and can no longer deny the past that has shaped so much of their present.
Set against the backdrop of a quiet Northern California mountain town, this gripping and emotionally layered novel unfolds in alternating perspectives, revealing the many ways women vanish inside motherhood, addiction, marriage, and shame. Told with raw honesty and wry compassion, Jessica Guerrieri’s sophomore novel is a story of sisterhood, acceptance, the unspoken truths we carry, and the redemptive power of bridging pain into connection.
My Review
A 'Quiet Forested Vibe' with Heavy Impact “A visceral, soulful reckoning delivered with the precision of a poet and the heart of a survivor.”
Jessica Guerrieri (a favorite) returns following Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea with her latest emotionally charged sophomore novel, BOTH CAN BE TRUE. A poignant, introspective, and unflinching domestic drama that feels like a quiet walk through a foggy forest—heavy with a sense of "something missing" but grounded by a steady, hard-won hope.
A mother vanished. A sisterhood fractured. A past that refuses to stay buried.
Highlights...
Elevator Pitch: When a local mother goes missing, two estranged Gilmore sisters are forced back together to confront the trauma and addiction that fractured their family.
Intro: Jessica Guerrieri's sophomore novel is a "quiet in tone but heavy in impact" exploration of the many ways a woman can disappear in plain sight.
Setting: A quiet Northern California mountain town, providing a perfectly atmospheric and "grounded" backdrop for a deeply personal story.
Theme: Focuses on the "redemptive power of bridging pain into connection" while exploring motherhood, addiction, generational and shared trauma, contradictions, the complexity of recovery, and the fragile bonds of sisterhood.
True repair comes from the grace we choose to give ourselves and others along the way. Life is rarely black and white; accepting that "both can be true" (e.g., love and pain) is essential for growth.
Vibe: Atmospheric, raw, emotional, and deeply human.
Characters: Frankie is a restless bookstore owner with 10 years of sobriety; Mere is a caretaker quietly unraveling while parenting a neurodivergent toddler.
Standout Features: The raw, authentic portrayal of addiction and recovery, written with the "warmth and understanding" of the author's own life experiences.
Author Writing: Superb, lyrical, atmospheric writing that finds the high-definition truth in the quietest moments. Guerrieri’s prose is a masterclass in holding the jagged and the beautiful in the same breath.
Metaphor: A fractured mirror—reflecting two different versions of the same history that only regain clarity when brought back together.
Takeaway: A poignant reminder that we can be "multiple, conflicting things at once" and still be deserving of compassion and grace. Someone can love their family while simultaneously feeling destroyed by the demands. A recurring philosophy in her work is that contradictions—like love and loss or desperation and hope—coexist, simultaneously.
Title Significance: Refers to the "conflicting emotional truths" women carry—how someone can fiercely love their children while simultaneously feeling a desperate need to escape.
Resolution of Identity: The narrative, told through alternating perspectives, explores the redemptive power of connection as the sisters begin to accept the unspoken truths they have carried since childhood.
Why You Should Read: Essential for fans of character-driven fiction who appreciate "flawless" procedural details paired with "breath-taking" prose of the female experience. An ideal book club pick.
“Guerrieri’s prose is a masterclass in holding the jagged and the beautiful in the same breath.”
My Thoughts...
Guerrieri possesses a "truly incredible" gift, the ability to write characters that feel so real you forget they are fictional. While the "missing person" mystery provides the initial hook, the real heart of the book is the "tumultuous" relationship between Frankie and Mere as they navigate their difficult childhood. It's a "masterclass" in showing how womanhood often involves "vanishing" behind roles like wife or caregiver until you barely recognize yourself.
Verdict: 5/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Beautiful contradictions and the weight of two conflicting emotions—like joy and grief or struggle and strength that will keep you turning until the final pages.
Jessica Guerrieri's writing is marked by a striking authenticity that draws readers in with its profound emotional intricacy. She skillfully explores the often-overlooked "quiet unraveling" of women's experiences within the confines of domestic life, capturing the subtle yet powerful moments of vulnerability and resilience.
Her prose is both poignant and exquisite, weaving together delicate imagery and evocative language to illuminate the complexities of human relationships. Through her work, Guerrieri seeks to dismantle the pervasive shame that often accompanies addiction and the weight of generational trauma, inviting readers to reflect on the deeper narratives that shape our lives.
~Lyrical precision met with a gut-level honesty.
~Atmospheric prose that breathes with a quiet, devastating grace.
~A masterclass in the quiet power of the unspoken.
~Resilient. Superb. Soulful. Sharply observed.
~An immersive pairing of Grit and Grace.
~Exquisite writing that turns the heaviest grief into gold.
The author expertly writes with "wry compassion" and a "generous eye" while remaining "unflinching" in her portrayal of heavy themes like shame and trauma. Her writing is noted for containing "absolute gems" and "poignant observations" about marriage and the quiet, "unspoken battles" women face.
Recs:
If you loved this, try Guerrieri's debut, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Also for fans of authors, Jodi Picoult, Lisa Genova, Joyce Maynard, Elizabeth Strout, Celeste Ng, Liane Moriarty, T. Greenwood, Sally Hepworth, Elizabeth Berg, Laurie Frankel, and Claire Lombardo
Author's Note:
Guerrieri's writing style is deeply intertwined with her background as an advocate for addiction recovery and her experiences in motherhood, as indicated in her insightful and thoughtful Author's Note, providing an even more authentic experience. Guerrieri describes her own storytelling as a way to "metabolize" life's challenges, transforming grief into something "we can carry" rather than just escaping it. Her background in essay writing on sobriety and motherhood informs a narrative voice that is both compassionate and authoritative regarding recovery. Highly recommend subscribing to her insightful newsletter.
~Visceral & Guttural
~Lyrical yet Grounded
~Exquisite & Unflinching
Both Can Be True is a powerhouse in its emotional weight and the incredible full-cast narration.
Audio Standout 🎧
I had the pleasure of reading the book and listening to the audio version. Experience a profound emotional journey with the captivating audio version of this story, featuring a Full Cast Performance by (the author) Jessica Guerrieri, Helen Laser, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, and Rebecca Lowman. Their dymanite collaboration transforms Frankie and Mere’s dual perspectives into an immersive experience.
Each mother’s unique voice adds a "visceral layer of intimacy," creating a connection that a single narrator can't match. This performance feels less like a traditional audiobook and more like an “immersive audio documentary,” making long drives an engaging exploration of deep emotions and insights. Whether you read it or listen to it, this is a 5-star emotional wrecking ball in the best way possible.
The Author's Work
Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea
Reading both Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and Both Can Be True offers a complete look at Jessica Guerrieri's exploration of "vanishing" women and the complexities of long-term recovery. While both books tackle the heavy intersections of motherhood and addiction, they offer contrasting perspectives on the timeline of healing. VIEW MORE.
Special thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for graciously sharing an advanced reading and listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: May 19, 2026
May Newsletter
Praise
Both Can Be True is a beautifully written story of love, redemption, and resilience. Guerrieri explores what it takes to survive, and to thrive, and at what cost to ourselves and to the ones we love. A compassionate tale told bravely and honestly that will make many feel seen and understood.'
-- Amy Neff, international bestselling author of The Days I Loved You Most
'It's a rare novel that tells the hardest truths about motherhood and the reasons so many women feel a need to escape, even when they fiercely love their children--and Both Can Be True is that rare and bold novel. In prose that took my breath away, Guerrieri explores the bonds of sisterhood and friendship between women with an unflinching and generous eye, while also shining a light on the darkness of addiction and sexual assault. By turns devastating and transcendent, Both Can Be True had me turning pages late into the night.'
-- Kerri Maher, USA TODAY bestselling author of All You Have to Do Is Call
'Jessica Guerrieri is a wonderful writer, and this novel is an exquisite examination of sisters, motherhood, and marriage. Both Can Be True is interested in what can and can't be repaired in our lives, and the grace we can choose to give ourselves and others along the way. Superb.'
-- Annie Hartnett, author of the bestselling novel The Road to Tender Heart
About the Author
Originally from the Bay Area, Jessica Guerrieri lives in Davis, California, with her husband and three daughters.
Jessica has a background teaching special education but left the field to pursue a career in writing.
Her debut novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, won the Maurice Prize for Fiction from her alma mater, UC Davis.
With over a decade of sobriety, Jessica is a fierce advocate for addiction recovery.
Connect with her online at jessicaguerrieri.net; Instagram: jessicaguerrieriauthor; X: @witandspitup; TikTok: @jessstayssober; Threads: @jessicaguerrieriauthor
