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book cover for Stories Carry

Stories Carry

We All Carry Them. Some Even Carry Us.

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Pub Date Sep 01 2026 | Archive Date Nov 30 2026

Get Red PR | Mercer University Press


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Description

Stories Carry is a personal memoir about faith, belonging, and the inherited stories that shape us. As the daughter of Chabad emissaries in 1970s Berkeley, California, and now a shlucha (emissary) herself in Atlanta, Georgia, Schusterman, mother of eight, has spent her life straddling two worlds—deeply rooted in Hasidic tradition while fully engaged in modern society.

Through interwoven narratives of her parents' journey and her own, Stories Carry explores the beauty and challenges of faith, the struggle to belong within a community, and the tension between tradition and individuality. It offers a rare, intimate look inside the Hasidic world—one often misunderstood or stereotyped—inviting readers to step beyond assumptions and see a vibrant, complex community from the inside.

At a time of increasing polarization, Stories Carry is a reminder of the power of shared humanity. Through warmth, honesty, and humor, this book extends a hand across perceived divides, welcoming readers into a world that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. For anyone who has ever questioned where they fit—in family, faith, or the larger world—this book offers a compelling reflection on resilience, identity, and the search for meaning.

Stories Carry is a personal memoir about faith, belonging, and the inherited stories that shape us. As the daughter of Chabad emissaries in 1970s Berkeley, California, and now a shlucha (emissary)...


A Note From the Publisher

While rooted in a specific community, Stories Carry reaches into the universal human experience of family, identity, and belonging. At a time when most memoirs about religious life are stories of leaving, Schusterman offers something rarer: an honest reckoning with what it means to stay and transform from within.

While rooted in a specific community, Stories Carry reaches into the universal human experience of family, identity, and belonging. At a time when most memoirs about religious life are stories of...


Advance Praise

“Like a master weaver, Dena Schusterman draws glittering threads from far-flung epochs and cities, creating the coat of many colors she invisibly wears as a hip modern woman who finds guidance and strength in ancient truths. This storyteller is ebullient and her stories sparkle with humor and wisdom. I found the book enchanting and enlightening.”—Melissa Fay Greene, American journalist and award-winning nonfiction author

“Dena Schusterman’s centuries-spanning, meticulously detailed, lovingly rendered portrait of life within the Chabad community brings new humanity and relatability to this singularly mysterious microcosm of modern Jewish life.”—Jonah Platt, American actor, singer, and Jewish advocate

“Dena Schusterman's stories have the power to move us both because we can clearly see our own life in them and also because we cannot. Raised in an observant and committed Jewish home, she has lived a life so different from what many of us have experienced. She carries in her stories a history stretching back thousands of years, but the power of her memory and her dedication to transmitting her family's legacy is as relevant now as ever. Schusterman's insight is as thoughtful, honest, and elegant as the stories she tells us.”—Mayim Bialik, American actress, neuroscientist, and author

“Interconnected, beautifully crafted snapshots of a spiritual quest unfold in faith, sharing everything from yoga to kabbalah to coffee. A charming and inspiring journey.”—Rabbi David Wolpe, author of David: The Divided Heart

“Like a master weaver, Dena Schusterman draws glittering threads from far-flung epochs and cities, creating the coat of many colors she invisibly wears as a hip modern woman who finds guidance and...


Marketing Plan

  • National PR
  • Regional / Atlanta PR
  • Podcast and Radio Tour 
  • Influencer Campaign 
  • National PR
  • Regional / Atlanta PR
  • Podcast and Radio Tour 
  • Influencer Campaign 

Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9798897360475
PRICE $28.00 (USD)
PAGES 284

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