Roots & Hope by Jess Reed

Roots and Hope is Jess Reed's gift to others and herself. Most humans, especially those living with anxiety, are familiar with the experience of rumination. According to Merriam-Webster, rumination is "a focusing of one's attention on negative or distressing thoughts or feelings that when excessive or prolonged may lead to or exacerbate an episode of depression." It can sometimes feel impossible to escape one's mental and emotional replays of anxious triggers. With her first book, Jess presents an alternative definition for rumination. She celebrates years of storytelling about her journey of mental health/illness, faith, and young adulthood. Through poetry and creative nonfiction, she offers reflections that are meant to be pondered, replayed, and processed while in solitude and in community.