Art of Holding on and Letting Go

By Kristin Bartley Lenz

Grief doesn't always come with an ending. In The Art of Holding On and Letting Go, Kristin Bartley Lenz explores the quiet, unresolved losses that shape adolescence-- the people who disappear, the relationships that fracture, and the moments that change everything without offering closure set against the physical and emotional discipline of rock climbing. As the protagonist struggles to navigate daily life while carrying unanswered questions, the novel traces the emotional work of holding on without being consumed, and learning how to live without fully letting go. Rather than offering easy healing arcs, the story honors uncertainty, emotional contradiction, and the slow, uneven process of resilience. Written with clarity, compassion, and restraint, this is a YA novel for readers who want honesty over optimism and recognition over resolution. For readers of Jandy Nelson's The Sky Is Everywhere, Brigid Kemmerer's Letters to the Lost, Gayle Forman's If I Stay, Natasha Friend's Where You'll Find Me, and Jason Reynold's The Boy in the Black Suit.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1966883110
• ISBN13: 9781966883111
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Left Field Publishing
• Length: 375 Pages
• Dimensions: 5.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 12 years and up