Publication Date: March 17, 2026
In the search for her truth, Sally Dukes’ literary memoir, “drummer girl” (Koehler Books, March 17, 2026), takes readers on a difficult yet compelling pursuit: the unfolding of life into death and back again. As a young girl, Sally was born with a congenital heart disorder (CHD). Heart surgery changed her forever: it gave her life, but only after it brought her to death’s door. Sally’s memoir encompasses her long search for understanding, to look for words when there were none, and to find meaning in darkness and light.
From grieving lost loved ones to confronting her own health complications, Sally carries her brush with death with her. Yet “drummer girl” is no tragedy. Sally’s ruminations awaken the soul and spirit, reminding us that death is nothing to fear, because death and life are one. Readers at any stage of life will find comfort in knowing what lies beyond the veil.
Throughout her life, Sally Dukes has gained a new appreciation of death as a journey rather than a dreaded experience.
In Drummer Girl, Dukes weaves a memoir exploring her own encounters with death, starting as a child with a congenital heart condition. The story is told through a mix of perspectives, which can be confusing.
The author leverages a lyrical writing style that captures the uncertainty she faces in various stages of her life. From the passing of a beloved pet to a stranger fatally injured in a crash, her words explore death without fear.
Even when cancer strikes within her own household, she searches for a deeper sense of understanding. Her experiences during COVID, life overseas, and navigating a terminal illness serve as interesting topics through the author’s descriptive lens.
Drummer Girl offers a memoir that removes the darkness from death and reframes it as a continued journey.
SALLY DUKES: Sally Dukes is published in the Journal of Sandplay Therapy (volumes II, III, IX) and has spoken nationally as an educator and psychotherapist.
A successful business owner and committed healer, Sally expanded her career through academic pursuits in psychology and contemplative practice. Her studies deepened her understanding of the mythos that can unconsciously shadow one’s persona. As a psychotherapist, she paid careful attention to her client’s narrative, witnessing their pain, their joy and, in turn, became their unbiased mirror. As an educator, she taught middle school students to give voice to their emerging selves. As an independent editor, she helped writers to better align their messaging with their heart.
True healing does not come in a pill or a prescription. It comes when our stories are heard, and our humanity recognized and honored. Sally Dukes believes in the power of narrative as medicine. “drummer girl” (March 17, 2026) is her narrative, her truth.
