Shaken

WINNER OF THE 2025 LITERARY TITAN SILVER BOOK AWARD

FINALIST FOR THE 2024 WISHING SHELF BOOK AWARDS

When Sally unexpectedly becomes a mother at twenty, she tries her best to build a stable life for her son, Morgan. But the sleepless nights, overwhelming isolation, and relentless cries wear her down until she breaks, and in a moment of desperation, she does the unthinkable: she shakes her baby. Consumed by guilt and fear, Sally buries her actions beneath a facade of normalcy, but the cracks are beginning to show.

Enter Alyssa, the teenage babysitter, who is left in charge the night after the incident. As Morgan's condition deteriorates, Sally's partner, Charles, grows increasingly concerned. A series of alarming doctors’ visits spiral into a nightmare when authorities are alerted and fingers start pointing at Alyssa. Will Sally come forward and risk losing everything, or will she try to maintain the illusion of being a perfect mother—even if it means someone else takes the blame?

Shaken explores the intense, often unspoken, struggles of new motherhood and the complexities of human fallibility, raising an unsettling question: Does one irreversible mistake define you forever?

Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Lisa Jewell, and Freida McFadden.