Share

cover art for Sarah Mandel, LITTLE EARTHQUAKES: A Memoir

Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books™️

Sarah Mandel, LITTLE EARTHQUAKES: A Memoir

Season 17, Ep. 70

Zibby is joined by clinical psychologist and author Sarah Mandel to discuss Little Earthquakes, a beautiful, brave, and thought-provoking memoir about her extraordinary journey with Stage Four breast cancer while pregnant with her second baby, and the insights into life, death, trauma, and healing that she gleaned. Sarah talks about the terrifying experience, from finding a lump and being diagnosed hours before giving birth to beating cancer in three months and falling into a dissociated state, traumatized and numb. She also shares the story of her recovery, the experience of putting it all on paper (narrative therapy!) and getting it published, and how all of this affected her marriage, relationships, and profession. 


Purchase on Zibby's Bookshop: https://bit.ly/435mMKx

Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3PIaWTt


Subscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.

Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 23. Meghan Riordan Jarvis, CAN ANYONE TELL ME?: Essential Questions about Grief and Loss

    29:39||Season 22, Ep. 23
    Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3V0fTsCShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 22. Nikki May, THIS MOTHERLESS LAND

    27:07||Season 22, Ep. 22
    Read With Jenna Book Club Pick! Award-winning author Nikki May returns to the podcast to discuss THIS MOTHERLESS LAND, a stunning reimagining of Jane Austen’s MANSFIELD PARK (and a masterful exploration of race, identity, privilege, and love) where two extraordinary cousins split between England and Nigeria come to terms with their shared family history. Nikki delves into the inspiration behind this novel, the challenges of writing a second book, and how the grief of losing her brother has shaped her writing. She also shares the books that have gotten her through hard times, the things she does that bring her joy, and the details of her next project!Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3YVEvUzShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • What It’s Like to be a Marine Biologist, from Dan Heath

    34:12|
    Sharing an episode of the podcast “What It’s Like to Be…” from New York Times bestselling business book author Dan Heath. In every episode, Dan interviews someone from a different profession: A cattle rancher, a FBI special agent, a professional Santa Claus. He asks what it’s like to do what they do. What does a couples therapist think when a friend asks for relationship advice? Is a Secret Service Agent supposed to pretend like they’re not there when they’re around the president? What does a hair stylist do when a client asks for a celebrity hairstyle that will never work for them? In the preview you’re about to hear, you’ll meet a marine biologist who studies manta rays. You’ll hear how drones have changed her work, what it’s like to get to know individual rays, and why people have such a romantic image of being a “Marine Biologist.” It’s the perfect show to listen to with your kids – it’s family safe but also gives them a preview of different careers – and the kinds of personalities that fit with the work. You can find more episodes of “What It’s Like to Be…” wherever you get your podcasts.
  • 21. Sophie Cousens, IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM?

    28:50||Season 22, Ep. 21
    Zibby’s December Book Club Pick! New York Times bestselling author Sophie Cousens returns to the podcast to discuss IS SHE REALLY GOING OUT WITH HIM?, an enchanting, witty, laugh-out-loud funny enemies-to-lovers romance about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker—all of which she will write about in her column at work. Sophie delves into her protagonist’s hilarious misadventures as a 38-year-old single mom in the dating scene. She and Zibby discuss the importance of featuring mature and relatable protagonists in romance and then touch on modern dating and career reinvention. Sophie also shares her writing process and the challenge of balancing parenting with her career.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4fSzuD1Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 20. Ana Huang, THE STRIKER

    19:25||Season 22, Ep. 20
    #1 New York Times bestselling author Ana Huang chats with Zibby about THE STRIKER, a steamy, unputdownable romance between the world’s best soccer player and a primadonna ballerina he can’t have. Ana shares the excitement of hosting a midnight release party with 800 fans! Then, she delves into her novel’s themes of rivalry, personal growth, and forbidden love. She also reflects on her immigrant upbringing and how writing stories helped her learn English, her pivot back to writing during the pandemic, and the rise of indie publishing. Listen for teasers about her next novel!Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3ULS2N6Share, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 19. Sarah Labrie, NO ONE GETS TO FALL APART: A Memoir

    21:32||Season 22, Ep. 19
    Author Sarah LaBrie joins Zibby to discuss her spellbinding, harrowing new memoir, NO ONE GETS TO FALL APART. Sarah shares how a period of profound pain and self-discovery led her to come to terms with her mother’s schizophrenia, find therapeutic resources, and start crafting this book. She reflects on her childhood, which was marked by an all-consuming closeness to her mom, and then touches on her complicated feelings about her white partner. She and Zibby discuss the importance of openness and authenticity in memoirs— and their role in offering solidarity and connecting with readers who may feel isolated by similar experiences.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/48MtoSqShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 18. Julie Fingersh, STAY: A Story of Family, Love, and Other Traumas

    27:57||Season 22, Ep. 18
    Zibby chats with debut author Julie Fingersh about her warm, witty, and beautifully written memoir, STAY: A Story of Family, Love, and Other Traumas. Julie and Zibby discuss the book's themes, from parenting adult children and the challenges of middle age to women’s ambitions and self-perception and confronting the lingering effects of past trauma. Julie also opens up about her brother’s struggle with mental illness, her daughter’s health challenges, and the disorienting feeling of envy as she watches her daughter step into her own extraordinary life (like when she was part of Hillary Clinton's motorcade). Finally, she describes Anna Quindlen’s influence on her work.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4eoJ3soShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 17. Susan Rieger, LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER

    28:35||Season 22, Ep. 17
    Author Susan Rieger joins Zibby to discuss LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER, an enthralling novel about three generations of strong-willed women unknowingly shaped by the secrets buried in their family’s past. Susan describes how her own family secrets and complex relationship with her mother inspired this story and its central character, Lila, a brilliant, career-focused executive editor at a major newspaper who feels inherently unsuited for motherhood. Susan also talks about her journey through psychoanalysis, the power of introspection, and her journey from law to writing. Finally, she shares the news of a TV adaptation—and who she hopes will be cast as Lila!Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3CjYtACShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!
  • 16. Emma Grey, PICTURES OF YOU: A Novel

    27:31||Season 22, Ep. 16
    Zibby Books author alert! Zibby welcomes back bestselling Australian author Emma Grey to discuss PICTURES OF YOU, a stunning, urgent, profoundly affecting novel about a woman who wakes up in a hospital bed after an accident with the mind of her 16-year-old self… and must confront the life and choices she doesn’t recognize now, at 29. Emma and Zibby dive into the novel’s themes of toxic relationships and personal reinvention. Emma also touches on her love of photography, a healing tool for her grief and motif throughout this story.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4ekKFTWShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!