Hancock County writer confronts the complexities of parenting in her debut book

Maine Author Rebecca Reynolds Reveals the Heart of Her New Short‑Story Collection

Portland, Maine – In a quiet interview with the Portland Press Herald, Maine‑born writer Rebecca Reynolds discussed her forthcoming book, This Is How We Speak, a compilation of thirteen stories that probe the messy realities of caregiving, family duty and the limits of love. The book, set to hit shelves later this spring, was born out of Reynolds’ years of writing in the margins of a busy life, and she said the pandemic prompted her to finally bring the pieces together.

Reynolds, who earned her MFA at Emerson College two decades ago, has long been a prolific storyteller. “I wrote these stories over many years,” she told the Herald. “Some of them even when I was getting my MFA at Emerson 20 years ago…I just wrote a story now and then.” She added that, while juggling young children and a full‑time job, she rarely found the time to assemble them into a collection.

The COVID‑19 lockdown gave Reynolds a moment to pause. “I started thinking, ‘What am I doing?’ and decided to put them in a collection then.” The result is a book that, she says, is “about kids and caretaking, because that’s been my experience for so long.”

The collection opens with “Everyone Is Smiling,” a tale of a mother who loves her children fiercely but craves a life of her own. Reynolds described the protagonist’s struggle: “She just couldn’t stop wanting more. Even though it was harmful to her life, she couldn’t contain it.” The story, and others in the book, explore the dual nature of parental love, which she notes “is mixed with duty and obligation.” “Love demands work and sacrifice and duty. It’s not just ‘pure love.’ It’s not just joy. It’s also more,” she explained.

The title story, “This Is How We Speak,” emerged from Reynolds’ experience working at a group home with people who had limited verbal communication. The author reflected on the power of alternative forms of connection. “I came to really know them, but we communicated in a different way,” she said. “Humans are very good at finding that different way to connect and communicate.” This theme of communication threads through the collection, as the characters learn to speak to one another in ways that go beyond words.

Reynolds also acknowledges that her stories tackle mental illness and disability without romanticizing them. “I tried to show disability in a way that felt real to me and respectful of the characters as individuals,” she said. “A lot of that came from my experience working with disabled people.” The book includes “The Principal,” in which a woman follows her boyfriend while dealing with the trauma of her father’s suicide, and “Remember How I Loved You,” where a mother visits her daughter in a psychiatric hospital. “Distance” focuses on a father who is physically limited and a daughter who desires more from him than he can provide. In each case, the characters confront the limits of what they can give and receive.

A recurring line from “Principle” – “You can’t fix people just by loving them” – has resonated with Reynolds as a kind of truth she has learned through years of caregiving. “I think it is…when someone is suffering, you know you can’t fix that with just love. You need love, but that’s not the only answer, unfortunately,” she said. “You have to be present with people, go through it with them, stay the course, and come out the other end.”

Reynolds’ background as a mother and her experience in care settings inform the book’s authenticity. Her stories, she believes, are not just about the challenges of caretaking, but also the hope that comes from honest conversation. “Whatever devastation appears in the book is bearable because of its honesty,” she said, noting that her characters ultimately move toward “something akin to acceptance.”

This Is How We Speak will be available at bookstores across Maine and online this spring. In an era where conversations about mental health, disability and caregiving are gaining prominence, Reynolds’ collection offers a nuanced look at the everyday battles and quiet triumphs of caring for one another.