“Bartels proves herself a master wordsmith and storyteller.”—Library Journal, starred review

“This subdued tale of learning to forgive is Bartels’s best yet.”—Publishers Weekly

“A deeply personal, thoughtful exploration of dealing with pain and grief.”—Life Is Story

“Taut and engaging.”—Foreword

“A deftly crafted, entertaining, thought-provoking novel.”—Midwest Book Reviews

***

Ten years ago, sisters Olivia and Melanie Greene were on a backcountry hiking trip when their parents were in a fatal car accident. Over the years, they grew apart, each coping with the loss in her own way. Olivia plunged herself into law school, work, and an atomistic view of the world—what you see is what you get, and that’s all you get. Melanie dropped out of college and developed an online life-coaching business around her cafeteria-style spirituality—a little of this, a little of that, whatever makes you happy.

Now, at Melanie’s insistence (and against Olivia’s better judgment), they are embarking on a hike in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In this remote wilderness they’ll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered.

Michigan Notable Book Award winner Erin Bartels draws from personal experience hiking Upper Michigan’s backcountry trails with her sister to bring you a story about the complexities of grief, faith, and sisterhood.

 

 

 

 

 

Praise & Reviews

“Erin Bartels has a gift for creating unforgettable characters who are their own worst enemy, and yet there’s always a glimmer of hope that makes you believe in them. The estranged sisters in All That We Carried are two of her best yet.”—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Christy Award-winning novelist

“All That We Carried is so much more than just a beautiful novel–it’s a literary adventure of both body and spirit, a meaningful parable, a journey of faith. Simply stunning.”—Heidi Chiavaroli, award-winning author of Freedom’s Ring and The Tea Chest

“Bartels proves herself a master wordsmith and storyteller.”—Library Journal, starred review

“This subdued tale of learning to forgive is Bartels’s best yet.”—Publishers Weekly

“A deeply personal, thoughtful exploration of dealing with pain and grief.”—Life Is Story

“Taut and engaging.”—Foreword

“Tension coupled with redemption makes this a stellar tale!”—Write-Read-Life

 

Interviews & Articles

I was thrilled to be Ginny L. Yttrup’s first guest on her brand new Words for Writers podcast. We talked about All That We Carried, writing under deadline, the writing and publishing process, and more. You can listen to that episode here. If you’re a writer, be sure to subscribe because she has a great lineup of guests coming up!

How was my writing affected by the events of 2020? How am I setting goals for 2021? What is All That We Carried really all about? Check out this Southern Writers Magazine article for the answers.

A short and lively interview with Dottie Barnes at Behind Today’s Books podcast about All That We Carried.

This interview with Family Fiction touches on some of the important themes found in All That We Carried.

An in-depth interview about sisters, hiking, grief, and how what we believe about what happens after we die affects the way we live on Reading Is My Superpower.

This interview with Reader’s Entertainment Magazine reveals what part of All That We Carried is based on my real life. And also a hidden talent related to seagulls.