“Dara Levan's exploration of grief and the small moments that can change our world is heartfelt and lovingly celebrates the power and beauty of summer camp.”

– Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost

“At turns hopeful and heartbreaking, Shaken to the Core asks the big questions about love, legacy, motherhood, and how we react when the life we’ve built comes tumbling down around us. Dara Levan’s poetic prose and deft storytelling bring her characters to life with tenderness and empathy, reminding readers that our time might not be infinite but perhaps that’s what fills our days with so much purpose. A true testament to the simple moments that sometimes save us, Levan’s latest is an absolute must read!”

– Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of Beach House Rules

“An important, emotionally rich novel about life’s most profound milestones. It’s a story of mothers and daughters, legacy, and a marriage tested. I loved it.”

– Jamie Brenner, bestselling author of The Weekend Crashers

“When a daughter is inspired by her mother’s diary, her own dreams come true in the form of found family and hidden strength. Shaken to the Core, Dara Levan's sophomore novel, is a love letter to mothers in all shapes and forms. A beautiful, moving, and surprisingly uplifting story about moving forward through grief and hardship. The perfect book club read!”

– Meredith Schorr, USA Today bestselling author of RoomMating 

“Shaken to the Core is a beautiful rendering of love and loss, capturing the quiet, devastating ways each reshapes who we are. With emotional precision and deep compassion, Dara Levan traces how grief can fracture a life—and how love, even in its absence, continues to transform us.”

– Jane L. Rosen, author of The Fire Island trilogy

“Dara Levan’s Shaken to the Core is a tender story of love, loss, and perseverance, a tale reminding readers at each surprising turn that regardless of what the universe dishes out, we all have choices.”

– Corie Adjmi, USA Today bestselling author of The Marriage Box

“In Shaken to the Core, Dara Levan crafts an emotionally astute portrait of a woman reshaped by sudden loss. As she uncovers her mom’s old journals and in them, her long-buried dreams, Joy begins to see that motherhood isn’t just about biology—it’s about memory, courage, and the fierce desire to nurture something that outlives us. With warmth, humor, and emotional honesty, this uplifting novel reminds us that when life breaks our hearts, it can rebuild them even stronger and better than they were before.”

– Gila Pffefer, award-winning author of Nearly Departed

“This emotionally affecting novel is replete with perfectly captured New England details. Levan’s compelling story is ultimately about surrendering to your instincts during life’s darkest moments. A moving exploration of how pain can carry us into brighter chapters in life.”

– Kirkus Reviews