Description:

The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart is a novel about 16-year-old Lily Larkin, who is struggling with severe anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and the pressure to appear perfect after her older sister returns home from treatment for self-harm and bipolar disorder. As Lily tries to hold her family together, she befriends Micah, a classmate who understands mental health challenges firsthand. Through a school art project centered on poetry, Lily begins to confront her own hidden struggles and learns the importance of asking for help. The novel explores themes of anxiety, OCD, depression, family, healing, and the power of creativity and connection. 

Discussion Questions:

• How does Lily’s perception of perfection affect her?
• What are the implications of the way students talk about Micah and mental health?
• What lessons can be learned from the idea that a person is “broken” and needs “fixed”? Why is this a dangerous line of thinking?