United States – September 1, 2026 – “Everything We Try to Hold” invites readers into an intimate, multigenerational story of friendship, family, resilience, and the emotional consequences of choices that echo across decades.
In a world that often feels unpredictable, Everything We Try to Hold follows two families whose lives become deeply intertwined through friendship, loyalty, disappointment, loss, and long-held secrets.
At the heart of the novel is Caroline Graham, whose childhood is shaped by her spirited best friend, Cathy. Their close bond captures the innocence of youth, but as Caroline grows older, she discovers that adulthood brings responsibilities and challenges that are far more complicated than she ever imagined.
As Caroline becomes a wife, mother, daughter, and professional, she struggles to balance the expectations placed upon her with her own ambitions and need for stability. Across decades, the novel examines infidelity, aging, grief, death, family conflict, and the difficult choices that test even the strongest relationships. Through these experiences, Caroline evolves from an observant young girl into a resilient woman forced to confront the past while defining the life she wants for herself.
Literary Titan praised the novel as a character-centered family saga that gives particular attention to women’s interior lives and the ways emotional wounds continue to reverberate across generations. The review highlights the enduring friendship between Caroline and Cathy, the suffering within Caroline’s family, her growth as a professional designer, and the novel’s exploration of grief, tenderness, and the private truths people carry with them.
Rather than offering easy judgments, Everything We Try to Hold examines the emotional residue left behind by complicated relationships. Family secrets and discoveries from the past deepen Caroline’s understanding of those she loves and raise powerful questions about what people conceal, what they preserve, and what they ultimately must release.
The novel will appeal to readers who enjoy reflective women’s fiction, domestic literary fiction, multigenerational family sagas, and emotionally accessible stories in which character and relationships take center stage. Through Caroline’s journey, readers are encouraged to consider their own families, friendships, losses, ambitions, and the courage required to continue moving forward when life refuses to unfold as planned.
Readers can discover Everything We Try to Hold and experience Caroline’s deeply human journey of love, loss, friendship, family, and resilience. Order the book today on Barnes & Noble.
About the Author
Gene Piotrowsky began his multifaceted creative career in New York City as a graphic designer, photographer, and writer. His professional experience includes work for Fortune Magazine, New York Magazine, Grolier Publishing, and Bantam Books. Throughout his career, Piotrowsky has designed books and book covers and has written, designed, and produced television commercials.
He later expanded his creative work into film and television, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequences, as well as an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children’s Programming. His broad background in visual storytelling, publishing, writing, and entertainment informs the emotional and observational detail of his fiction.
Ms. Merrill has built a successful career managing several companies in Rochester, New York, overseeing all phases of business operations while contributing her creative talents to their growth and development. She currently serves as a creative consultant and copy editor for GPBooks and has edited Should I Have Become a Furrier and The Little Stream.
After learning about a complicated and unconventional family relationship, Ms. Merrill discussed the story extensively with Piotrowsky. Together, they decided to use its emotional foundation as the inspiration for Everything We Try to Hold. Piotrowsky developed the fictional world using the premise and elements drawn from his own life experiences, while Ms. Merrill played an instrumental role in the book’s development and the creation of its title.
Media Contact
Company Name: Literary Titan
Contact Person: Gene Piotrowsky
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: https://literarytitan.com/2026/04/08/everything-we-try-to-hold/
