After four years of writing, rewriting and refining, Her Name Was Isa is finally here.
The story originally began in 2018, when an early version was first released. Since then, the book has changed considerably. Characters were developed further, scenes were rewritten and the emotional core of the story was given the space it needed.
The result is the version we wanted this story to become.
About the story
Isa has known her friends for years.
They save her a seat at the table. They know what she likes. They know her habits, her insecurities and the things that make her laugh.
And whenever something hurts, they tell her the same thing:
It was only a joke.
But slowly, something begins to change.
Photographs are shared without her permission. Boundaries are ignored. Comments stay with her long after everyone else has forgotten them.
And every time Isa tries to explain that something has hurt her, she is left wondering whether perhaps she is the problem.
Only with Levi does she not have to constantly question what she has done wrong.
While Isa tries to hold on to school, her family and her dream of working with costumes, the world around her becomes increasingly difficult to carry.
Her Name Was Isa is a novel about friendship that slowly becomes harmful, peer pressure, mental health, seeking help and the people left behind when words seem to come too late.
It is a story about how something that once felt safe can slowly begin to hurt — and about the things we sometimes only understand once someone is no longer there.
Four years of work
This book has a long history.
What began in 2018 eventually became a project we returned to years later. We knew there was more beneath the original story and that Isa deserved a version that explored her experiences with greater care and depth.
For the past four years, we have continued working on the manuscript.
Not simply to make it longer or different, but to make it more honest.
The friendships needed to feel real. The painful moments needed to be subtle enough to show how easily harmful behaviour can be dismissed as normal. And Isa herself needed to remain more than what happens to her.
She has dreams, humour, family, interests and a future she is trying to imagine for herself.
That was important to us from the beginning.
We are looking for reviewers
To mark the release of Her Name Was Isa, we are also looking for readers who would like to review the book.
If this story sounds like something you would genuinely like to read, let us know.
The first three readers who contact us will receive a free digital copy of the e-book.
There is no requirement to leave a positive review. We are simply looking for honest readers willing to share their genuine thoughts after finishing the story.
Her Name Was Isa is available now.
A story that began in 2018.
Four years of work.
And finally, a story ready to be read.
