Every Room Remembers
On an ordinary October morning, SJ's husband Wyatt kisses her goodbye and heads out to work, forever changing their lives. Every Room Remembers is a luminous debut about love, sudden loss, and the slow, extraordinary work of finding your way back.
about the book
Every room they shared still holds him.
After losing her husband Wyatt to a sudden accident, interior designer SJ Monroe believes she is alone with her crushing grief. But nothing is further from the truth. Wyatt, a ghost trapped in a liminal state, must watch in silence, unable to help, as the woman he loves rattles around their unfinished farmhouse in Sleepy Hollow, New York. He mourns all that remained unresolved in their marriage – the children they never had, the depression that stalked him, and the fractures in their relationship.
Over the following months, SJ survives, aided by the company of Wyatt’s dog, Hawk, and nightly drives to Wendy’s for her habitual fry and chocolate shake. She marshals the courage to take a restoration job for the historic Osprey House in her hometown of Beaufort, South Carolina. A vigilant Wyatt follows as she reconnects with family and finds new friends. Signs from the natural world urge her forward. But not everyone wishes her well. While trouble looms, an ever-watchful Wyatt resolves to find a way to speak to SJ from beyond the grave – to tell her to abandon the grief and guilt consuming her, and to claim her happiness. Will she hear him?
early praise
What readers are saying.
In Every Room Remembers, SJ is a sought-after interior designer, but it's Badstubner herself who has created the most beautiful space: a novel we can sink into, that we don't want to leave. This luminous debut is masterfully built and beautifully detailed, echoing with the fullness of life — the dark moments as well as the glorious light. — Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas
How do you go on with your life after the unthinkable happens? One of the beauties of Tara Badstubner's deeply felt first novel is the author's trust in the tenacity of the human heart, even when it feels irredeemably broken. In prose as sure and subtle as a steadying hand on one's shoulder, Badstubner's characters find a way to walk into their unimagined futures, where love and memory, the author reminds us, have the power to outlast us all. — Kate Moses, author of Wintering: A Novel of Sylvia Plath and Cakewalk: A Memoir
The author skillfully connects North and South, past and present, and living and otherworldly in a story that pulls you in and doesn't let go until the last page. She has a lovely ear for language and somehow manages to make the most unthinkable situations lyrical. A stellar debut! — Libby Gill, author of Malibu Summer
A timeless story of love, longing, and memory, Every Room Remembers will draw you in from the first page. The book transports readers through lush settings and across the thin lines between worlds, all shaped by the story of a young woman finding her way after the sudden death of her husband. Houses hold memories, spirits linger and whisper secrets, and animal companions are guides in this moving, lyrical story that weaves memorable characters together with a reminder that family is who we choose and home is ultimately where we find a sense of belonging. Highly recommended. — Michelle St. Romain, author of Song of Belonging
about the author
Tara Badstubner writes about grief, love, and what endures.
She was a Writer-in-Residence at Craigardan (2022–2023) and is an alum of BookGardan. More recently, she was an Artist-in-Residence for Hewnoaks where she worked on her upcoming second novel. She lives in the quiet beauty of Pennsylvania with a daring red fox that regularly trots past her window and is surrounded by her husband, children, and several silly dogs. Every Room Remembers is her first novel.
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