I help women stop exiling themselves.
I'm Michelle Thooft — a writer, teacher, and mother living on Minnesota's Iron Range.
I'm a woman who misread herself for years, carried shame and exhaustion as identity, and slowly discovered grace, voice, healing, and wholeness.
I write about the places where emotional, physical, and spiritual life meet — the moments that shape us quietly, often without resolution. My work explores healing, motherhood, faith, and the ongoing process of learning to live honestly with what has been.
My memoir, A River Runs Through Us: What Remains After Life Breaks Open, is a collection of short, reflective stories shaped by experiences of illness, family fracture, and the slow work of self-forgiveness. The companion journal, Write the River, invites you into your own story — one honest scene at a time. I'm also the author of children's books, including Skeleton Street, part of the Pink House Adventures series.
I write to sit beside you, not above you — offering presence rather than answers. If you've ever felt like a stranger to yourself — you're in the right place.
A River Runs Through Us:
What Remains After Life Breaks Open
A memoir in vignettes — honest, unhurried, and close to the bone. If you've carried shame about who you were as a mother, a daughter, or a woman, this book will sit beside you in it. Available in paperback and hardcover.
and
Write the River: A Companion Journal
A guided journal that invites you into your own story — one honest scene at a time. Using memoir-style prompts and a simple framework of forgiveness and truth, this journal is healing work disguised as writing. Available in paperback and as an instant PDF download.
The Bundle: Memoir + Journal
The complete experience. Read Michelle's story, then write your own. Perfect for individual healing work or as a women's small group study — everything your group needs, no prep required. Order the complete set here— hardcover memoir + journal, personally signed.
Skeleton Street — Coming Soon!
(Pink House Adventures)
A charming picture book about a little girl, a pink house, a mysterious sound in the night — and the grandmother who finally helps her face it. For the children and grandchildren in your life. Be the first to know when it arrives.
I’d love to hear from you
Something resonate with you? I’d love to hear about it. I read every message, even if I can’t respond right away.