Friends and Fortitude: "In a world full of roses, be a sunflower."

By Mrs Anastasia Paul

In the sleepy village of Cavendish, three women arrive at a countryside retreat carrying more than just overnight bags-they bring secrets, scars, and the quiet ache of lives lived in service of others.

Anastasia hides her unraveling behind sunflower ink and kaleidoscope hair, a mother of twin boys navigating bipolar disorder with fierce love and fragile grace. Jane, the joker with flour-dusted fingers, has spent years performing joy while quietly losing herself. And Sarah, the steady one, finds her reflection fading as her daughters drift and her purpose blurs.

Over firelit journaling, shared breakfasts, and walks through wildflower lanes, the women begin to unearth what they've buried. Laughter turns to tears, confessions bloom, and the armour they've worn for years begins to fall away.

Tender, honest, and quietly radical, Friends and Fortitude is a celebration of imperfect women learning to grow wild and true-like sunflowers reaching for light even when the sky is dark. A story of friendship, motherhood, mental health, and the courage it takes to be seen.

Perfect for readers of Jojo Moyes, Beth Morrey, and anyone who's ever needed a reminder that vulnerability is its own kind of strength.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FP6GXC9R
• ISBN13: 9798262546879
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 136 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 8.0"