A Memoir for Women in Every Season

What Remains After Life Breaks Open

A River Runs Through Us is an honest, unhurried memoir about loss, faith, family, and the quiet strength that carries us forward.

For every woman who has ever weathered heartbreak, held on through uncertainty, and wondered what comes next—this story is for you.

What Readers Are Saying

  • Encouraging Read ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Through one woman's journey through the travails of life, this book is a gentle encouragement to let go of all the emotional junk from the past that causes us to feel like we are drowning. Letting go of irrational fears that have plagued since childhood, forgiving one's younger self, persevering through life's difficulties, and finding peace is portrayed through the author's willingness to be incredibly vulnerable in the often painful memories of being less than perfect. Through her authenticity, the author demonstrates that healing is not only possible, but leads to strength.

    —Pamela Jo, Amazon Review May 17, 2026

  • A Beautiful Memoir ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    A River Runs Through Us is a beautiful memoir of one woman’s life. It made me laugh. It made me cry. Michelle put her heart and soul into this and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I believe this book is going to change lives.

    —J. Reini, Amazon Review June 28, 2026

  • A great book about being real - love it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    I picked this up to read a few chapters and couldn't put it down. Finished it over a relaxing day off while sitting on our deck. Michelle courageously opens her heart to invite you to experience all that her heart experienced and to meet God there. Since I'm in a similar life stage, I can so relate to much of her story. Too many books today are all about becoming a better human doing. This is a book about being. Being real. God invites us to enter into His rest, and I found this book to be like that. An invitation to enter God's rest. He's got us. He's faithful.

    —Todd S. Olsen, Amazon Review May 18, 2026

I'm Michelle Thooft — an author, English Instructor, and mother living on Minnesota's Iron Range.

For more than 10 years, I've taught college composition, and year after year I saw the same need: students arriving in my classroom without the writing skills or confidence they needed to succeed. I began slowing down, going back to the basics, and teaching the foundational skills students were expected to know—but had often never been taught, or never had the opportunity to truly master. Eventually, that work became The Write Road— a complete Composition curriculum designed to prepare college-bound high school students for the writing they'll be expected to do in college.

[Read more about Michelle →]

A River Runs Through Us by Michelle Thooft — memoir hardcover and paperback

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.

A River Runs Through Us:

Write the River companion journal by Michelle Thooft — paperback and PDF

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.

Book One of the Pink House Adventures: Skeleton Street — Available Now!

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.