Skip to content
Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

Erin Stewart

  • Home
  • About
  • BooksExpand
    • Young Adult
    • Middle Grade
    • Foreign Editions
  • Contact
  • Visits
  • FAQ
  • Events
Erin Stewart

The Words We Keep

Young Adult

It’s been three months since The Night on the Bathroom Floor–when Lily found her older sister Alice hurting herself. Ever since then, Lily has been desperately trying to keep things together, for herself and for her family. But now Alice is coming home from her treatment program and it is becoming harder for Lily to ignore all of the feelings she’s been trying to outrun.

Enter Micah, a new student at school with a past of his own. He was in treatment with Alice and seems determined to get Lily to process not only Alice’s experience, but her own. Because Lily has secrets, too. Compulsions she can’t seem to let go of and thoughts she can’t drown out.

When Lily and Micah embark on an art project for school involving finding poetry in unexpected places, she realizes that it’s the words she’s been swallowing that desperately want to break through.

where to find it:

Purchase Goodreads

Awards

Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award

what they’re saying

Trade reviews and blurbs

A sprawling, engrossing read, Stewart’s latest succeeds in mapping out the toll of anxiety disorder with scrupulous, cleareyed detail. Above all, however, there’s an overpowering sense of hope underlined by an achingly sincere message: Speak up and get help if needed. Indispensably candid.
KIRKUS
Starred Review
In Lily’s frank, forthcoming voice, Stewart mingles Lily’s love of words—blackout poetry, social media posts coining terms that should exist—with specific descriptions of anxiety disorder–related distress that will resonate with many readers.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Starred Review
Wild, beautiful, and free. The Words We Keep is a poetic page turner. A raw, relatable story of mental illness, romance, and the power of love.
JENNIFER NIVEN
#1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places
The Words We Keep is a luminous exploration into the restorative power of love and art. The only thing it contains more of than poetry is raw, unfiltered hope. This book is a healing balm to a wounded heart.
JEFF ZENTNER
Morris Award–winning author of In the Wild Light
A gorgeous and deeply touching rumination on the power of art, this book is for anyone who has lost their words and lost their way. The Words We Keep is a tender, heartfelt, and realistic look at mental illness, familial love, and finding your voice.
KATHLEEN GLASGOW
New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces and You’d Be Home Now
  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Young Adult
    • Middle Grade
    • Foreign Editions
  • Contact
  • Visits
  • FAQ
  • Events
Instagram TikTok Facebook Twitter

© 2025 Erin Stewart

Scroll to top
  • Home
  • Books
    • Young Adult
    • Middle Grade
    • Foreign Editions
  • About
  • Contact
  • Visits
  • FAQ
  • Events
Facebook X Instagram
Books
What are you looking for?
Search