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Collective Souls
by
J. Marshall
What if the path to healing your past begins with accepting your child for who they truly are? Collective Souls is a powerful, fictionalized account of four women learning to reclaim their voices. Set in rural 1980s Canada, the story unfolds through interwoven narratives of the women as girls, grappling with poverty, displacement, and generational trauma—setting the stage for who they will become as mothers. Each protagonist—fierce, flawed, and mother to an LGBTQ+ child—wrestles with where she fits: within her family, her community, and most of all, herself. All are determined to protect their children, even if it means facing truths that they have buried deep. This is a novel about motherhood as advocacy, about parenting not from perfection but from the desire to heal what you never had. It’s about the shift from silent shame to finding your voice, from survival to agency. With tenderness and grit, Collective Souls invites you into these women’s kitchens, barns, bars, and backroads—and into the hearts of women learning, at last, to belong to themselves.
J. Marshall is a passionate advocate for marginalized communities and the founder of a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to connection, mental wellness, and community inclusion. A budding activist and writer, Joanne has spent years listening deeply to the stories of women who often go unheard—mothers navigating the complex emotional terrain of parenting children who don’t fit the mould. These conversations are the heart of her debut work, Collective Souls. Originally shared as a blog, Collective Souls quickly became more than just a story—it became a lifeline. Inspired by the women who trusted her, J. Marshall decided to publish. Marshall brings lived experience, heart, and hard-won wisdom to every page. Her mission is clear: to let other mothers know they are not alone, and that it’s never too late to find or build a community where they—and their children—are truly safe and seen.
Contributors
- Author
- J. Marshall