Publication Date: September 27, 2022
An abandoned building. A motivated runner. A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer survivor.
Connor Jackson has been training for a half marathon for the past six weeks. Katie Brandt has been training to beat cancer for the past 50. When Connor discovers an intriguing secret in a tiny, abandoned building on his running route, Katie finds that the mystery is what she needs to help her get through her three-week stem cell replacement procedure. Together, Conner and Katie must find the strength to achieve their personal goals and, in the meantime, expose the many past lives that the tiny building led.
When cracking open a copy of The Story That Made Us Stronger by author Iris March, don’t miss the dedication. These opening words will invite you to feel how personal the writing of this story must have been for author Iris March,
Connor is making a second attempt to prepare to run a half marathon. Katie is his patient on the stem cell replacement ward and is running a different kind of marathon. She has fought Hodgkin’s lymphoma while carrying twins, and now she will undergo the brutal process of a stem cell replacement.
The two strike up a friendship. Since Katie is now a mother of 3 and Connor is a devoted uncle, their camaraderie is natural. Connor knows what defines him: a strong desire to help, a love for his young nieces, and a drive to push himself a little further. Katie is outgoing but lonely. She is trapped within the walls of that hospital until Connor mentions his curiosity about a tiny abandoned building he spots along his running path. Together they share an eagerness to find the history behind this building.
Katie is soon happy to include Connor’s new girlfriend in their adventure. What is discovered is not quite clear to anyone involved at first. It will take all three of them, plus a little meddling from Connor’s sister, to trace the roots of this structure that has a remarkable history.
I would be remiss if I didn’t point out to readers longing for a good old-fashioned love story the romantic element here leaves any sexual content completely to the reader’s imagination. It is a story of starting relationships and building on them with common respect and interests. For me, this was a refreshing experience to read an adult novel that left out profanity, adultery, and descriptive intimacy.
The narrative was easy to follow, and the characters were easy to imagine. The eventual revelation of the building is truly historical. Because the story revolves more around the characters as they fight to save the history of this building, it left me wanting to know much more about its use. At the outset, the story moves slowly. Conversely, although enjoying the chaste relationship of Conner and his girlfriend, there seems to be a rush to tell their story, which leads to a less than satisfactory ending.
As the title The Story That Made Us Stronger suggests, and the characters here represent, each of us navigates our own marathon of ups and downs, doubts and inspirations. When you are lucky enough to run the race of life with a community, you will live life to its fullest and maybe, just maybe, discover something amazing! 
Iris March lives in Ohio with her husband and son on the edge of the Cleveland Metroparks. She has worked in the sustainability field her entire career and has always loved reading. Iris enjoys hiking, running, but unfortunately has never had a green thumb like her mother.
