The Auntie Diaries: Book 1
Publication Date: February 25, 2026
Every family has aunties. The dependable one. The polished one. The one everybody trusts. Naomi is the one everybody trusts. When her sister Grace’s addiction forces a family intervention, Grace makes a choice that should fix everything. Instead, it opens doors that were never meant to be unlocked. In a Louisiana family where loyalty matters more than truth, the most dangerous person in the room is never the one falling apart.
When someone is caught up in the throes of addiction, it impacts everyone around them, especially children.
Author Valencia G. Wallace tells the story of an addicted mother, Grace, in The Other Auntie. With Grace headed to rehab, her older sister, Naomi, steps up to care for Joy.
Instead of being a story about the power of redemption, the storyline showcases a vindictive woman who tries to maintain appearances while undermining those around her.
The story is told from three perspectives—Grace, Naomi, and Joy—as they navigate 14 days of sobriety. While the underlying concept is solid, more development is needed to build all the necessary components to make the storyline more impactful.
The story references the power of the Hive, but doesn’t delve deep enough. Although the prologue offers a tease at what is to follow, there’s no clear time frame established between it and the epilogue.
As the first in The Auntie Diaries series, The Other Auntie hints at a powerful secret about to be discovered.
Valencia G. Wallace is a six-time bestselling, award-winning author writing stories rooted in Louisiana life, lore and the things people don’t say out loud. After publishing several nonfiction books, including her award-winning memoir Motherless Child, Valencia now explores fiction with The Other Auntie, launching The Auntie Diaries, a series about toxic family dynamics and how one woman pulls the tree from the root.
