Publication Date: August 1, 2026
Thea Erickson, a renowned surgeon, is filled with both joy and grief as her family gathers at their home on a summer night in 1995. Her elder daughter Phoebe is getting married, but even the happiness of the day feels bittersweet, as Thea grapples with a terminal cancer diagnosis. She worries she won’t be around to support her younger daughter Astra, who’s still in college, but even Thea cannot foresee what is to come—a terrible accident the night of the wedding that changes Astra’s life forever.
In a last-ditch effort to protect her family, Thea arranges a secret meeting with an old family friend and extracts a promise that will reverberate long after she’s gone.
Years after her mother’s death, Astra has moved forward with a career and relationship, but she still struggles with her grief. When a man reaches out to her and Phoebe, offering a window into their mother’s past, Astra must make a choice, and her decision forces her to face what it means to love someone after they’re gone, who we decide to forgive, and how families reckon with the past.
When a family matriarch is diagnosed with terminal cancer, it creates a ripple effect throughout her family.
Author Anna Nordberg delivers a story highlighting family and friendship in When She Was Ours. While heartbreak and loss are woven throughout as the daughters navigate change, there are some happy moments during flashbacks.
For Astra, the younger daughter, the loss of her mother sets her adrift. Meanwhile, her vibrant sister, Phoebe, seems to channel her grief more effectively with the help of Eli.
A family tragedy at Phoebe’s wedding seemingly ruins Astra’s hope for happiness until a voice from the past reaches out.
When She Was Ours packs an emotional punch, but it is well worth the tears.
Anna Nordberg is a journalist and culture writer whose essays have appeared in Slate magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She grew up in New York City and now lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children. When She Was Ours is her first novel.
