Carried: A Mother’s Love After Loss: A memoir of Grief, Devotion, and Enduring Love by Dorthy DeJesus New Release and Review

 

What does it mean to remain a mother when your child is no longer physically present—and how do you keep living when love has nowhere to go?

In Carried, the author shares a heartbreakingly honest and deeply intimate memoir of motherhood shaped by loss. Through gentle reflection and unfiltered emotion, she invites readers into her journey of grief—one marked not only by pain, but by devotion, meaning, and a love that refuses to disappear.

This memoir explores how loss changes the language of love, how grief becomes something you carry rather than overcome, and how remembrance can coexist with forward motion. It speaks not only to those who have experienced profound loss, but also to those seeking to understand that grief is not something that ends—it is something that evolves, lives alongside us, and reshapes who we are. With tenderness and strength, the author reveals that the bond between parent and child does not end—it transforms.

Carried is for mothers who grieve, for parents navigating unimaginable loss, and for anyone learning how to sit with sorrow—whether their own or another’s. Honest, compassionate, and quietly hopeful, this memoir offers comfort, validation, and the enduring reminder that love lives on, carried in the heart forever.

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About the author

Dorthy Marie DeJesus is a Connecticut author whose writing is inspired by love, loss, resilience, and hope. Her debut memoir, Carried, shares the heartbreaking journey of losing her son, Isaiah, while honoring the unbreakable bond between a mother and child. Through honest and heartfelt storytelling, she hopes to bring comfort to those navigating grief and remind readers they are never alone. Dorthy believes that our deepest pain can coexist with love, healing, and purpose. She is also the author of the upcoming novel What the Storm Couldn't Take, a story of survival, healing, and finding strength after life's greatest storms. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and believes every story has the power to change a life.

My Review:

This is a story that is emotional, raw and heartfelt. I have felt loss before, but I could never understand how it feels to lose a child. A child that that brought nothing but joy and love into the world. Isaiah is a beautiful soul. The bond between mother and child can only be understood if you live it. I learned a lot from this book about healing and compassion. You never know when someone is done grieving and it is not your decision to decide the time frame of grief. There are chapters in this book that I think every grieving mother should read, especially the later ones. The author talks about grief, guilt, family and love. I really liked that the author wrote letters to her son. It was enlightening to read what the author was feeling, in all it's sadness and love-felt emotion. This is definitely a book to read with tissues. It made me want to give extra hugs to the people I care about. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, all opinions are my own.