The Luckiest: A Memoir of Love, Loss, Motherhood, and the Pursuit of Self

From USA Today bestselling author Kelly Cervantes, this deeply personal memoir explores the growth and perspective gained while navigating life's unexpected asteroids and the craters they leave behind.

After moving from a conservative Midwestern suburb to New York City to pursue an acting career, Kelly never could have imagined what life had in store for her--or how much she would fundamentally change along the way. The Luckiest is her emotional journey through the pain of unrealized dreams, navigating her husband's Broadway spotlight, fighting for her child's life, finding purpose after loss, and rebuilding her life and marriage.

Inspired by author and poet Maggie Smith's quote, "We are all nesting dolls, carrying the earlier iterations of ourselves inside," Kelly shares the many layers that shaped who she is today. But how many of those layers were shaped through the control she desperately sought versus the luck she struggled to reconcile? Are we lucky if we escape life with soft skin and minimal layers? Or are we lucky to have the battle scars that show a life of survival--of fullness, and meaning?

The Luckiest is a tale of motherhood, in all its heartbreak, joy, fits, and false starts. It follows Kelly's wildly unpredictable journey and allows her to reflect on the role luck has played in her life, both good and bad. It is one woman's ongoing quest for self-discovery that is beautiful and complicated, and hopefully always becoming the next spectacularly painted wooden doll in the series of her life.

Author: Kelly Cervantes
Publisher: Benbella Books
Published: 11/04/2025
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.88lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.00w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781637747599

About the Author
Kelly Cervantes is an award-winning writer, speaker, and advocate best known for her blog Inchstones and USA Today bestselling book, Normal Broken: The Grief Companion for When It's Time to Heal But You're Not Sure You Want To. She has been published in the Chicago Tribune, Cosmopolitan, and Fortune as well as featured by MSNBC, New York Times, and CNN. She sits on the boards of CURE Epilepsy and The Undiagnosed Diseases Network Foundation and hosts CURE Epilepsy's podcast, Seizing Life. Born and raised in the Midwest, Kelly resides in Maplewood, NJ, with her family.