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For fans of Aldous Huxley and Timothy Leary, a woman’s personal journey unfolds in a historically documented and scientifically elucidated memoir of lifelong struggle to overcome CPTSD with the help of psychedelics. In 2009 following a breast cancer diagnosis, Rex found herself spiraling into a depression that led her to a groundbreaking clinical trial at Johns Hopkins University in 2012, where she was given two doses of psilocybin. As she reflects on her tumultuous childhood marked by violent abuse from psychiatrist parents, Rex uncovers the psychological influences that shaped her life and therapeutic search. Her journey intersects with a dark history of psychological experimentation, including the work of Harvard’s Dr. Henry A. Murray—her mother’s mentor—whose controversial research influenced modern psychology and led to the psychopathology of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. Despite years of failed conventional treatments, Rex sought alternative paths, discovering transformative healing through ayahuasca, MDMA, and 5-MeO-DMT. Seeing What Is There navigates the complexities of the psychedelic therapy movement, questioning its ethical pitfalls and motivations. Ultimately, Rex demonstrates that true healing requires more than just pharmaceuticals—it demands economic security, community, and social support, offering a powerful meditation on trauma, survival, and the potential for transformation. Author: Erica Rex Publication Date: January 13, 2026 -
An illuminating look at an adventurous life in colonial Alta California, Dancing on the Brink of the World is the imagined account of real-life British sailor Captain William A. Richardson after he is marooned in the San Francisco Bay. In 1822, only a dilapidated Mexican Presidio and an aging Spanish mission offer shelter on the windswept sand dunes near San Francisco Bay. In this bleak place, a disgruntled British seaman, William Richardson, comes ashore to request provisions for his whaling ship from soldiers guarding the bay. After dancing with a charming señorita at the fort and ignoring his duty, William fights with his surly ship captain and is marooned in Alta California. Left ashore to launch a new life, he must remake himself to fit into Alta California society, build a secure future on sea and land, and finally choose sides when war threatens his family and way of life. A mix of facts and imagination, the story is inspired by the life of Captain William A. Richardson and his family who lived in Alta California. This speculative historical novel intertwines their love story with that of three diverse societies—Native American, Mexican, and American—one that led to bloody clashes and war, sparked by greed for land. Author: Marianne T. Rafter Publication Date: January 13, 2026 -
Timed perfectly to publish just as New York celebrates its 400th birthday, a riveting story of a spirited young mother who faces the unknowns of seventeenth-century New Amsterdam after fleeing the Old World in search of a better life. It’s 1630, and Anneke Jans has just arrived in the fledgling colony of New Netherland with her husband, Roelof, and their two young daughters to create a new life for herself and her family. One of very few women in the colony, Anneke quickly realizes that she will need to make her own rules if she is to survive. When Roelof dies, Anneke marries Everardus Bogardus, the flamboyant minister of the Dutch Reformed Church. With this marriage, Anneke joins the elites of the colony—but when the colony’s new director provokes war with the region’s American Indians and her new husband emerges as the head of the anti-war opposition, she also finds herself in the midst of political turmoil. As difficulties mount, she must rely more than ever on her quick wits to protect herself and her growing family. Based on real events, Anneke Jans in the New World tells the story of an ordinary woman who lived an extraordinary life. Author: Sandra. Freels Publication Date: January 6, 2026
