The Stories That Must Be Told

Falling in love takes courage. Falling in love after trauma takes everything you have inside of you.

Stavros endured a horrendous loss at a very young age. He has to learn to adjust to go on with his life and help to take care of his infant sister. He has been loved and cared for by his parents, and taught to appreciate kindness and gentle words. But when he experiences another loss as a young adult, he has to learn how to cope. He makes many choices that lead him in a direction that he didn’t originally anticipate. He must use great determination to get himself back on the right path.

Darlene has had her own traumas, and has never learned how to effectively cope. She manages to get through the years with the help of her friends, but when the traumas start to pile up, Darlene must face the fact that she doesn’t have the tools she needs to help herself. She needs to figure out a new plan, and fast.

When Stavros and Darlene meet for the first time as adults, they have been through more tragedies than the average person could bear. They must decide what information about their pasts is safe to share, and decide if they can help each other to continue to experience ongoing recovery.

The Stories That Must Be Told is the fourth book in the series McKinney High Class of 1986. It addresses the issues of loss, addiction, and mental health, while showing that friendship and support can help even the most traumatized person get through when the right type of help is available. And sometimes finding love in the aftermath of tragedy can add to the healing power.