Stories are alive--and they shape our personal and collective identities, for better and worse Discover how the stories we tell--and the ones we inherit--hold extraordinary power to heal, harm, and reshape our reality. In Everything Is a Story , award-winning Indigenous author Kaitlin B. Curtice reveals how narratives function like living seeds, taking root in our consciousness and growing from acorns into mature oak trees that define who we are. This book will help you ● learn to identify toxic narratives that perpetuate division and replace them with stories of compassion and wholeness; ● discover how Indigenous storytelling wisdom can transform modern approaches to healing and community building; ● develop skills for examining family stories, religious beliefs, and cultural myths with discernment; and ● explore how to pass meaningful stories to future generations. Through this compelling journey, Curtice examines how stories shape our personal identity, family dynamics, spiritual beliefs, and cultural understanding. She guides us through the crucial process of discerning which inherited narratives serve our growth and which ones limit our potential for healing and connection. This isn't just another book about storytelling--it's a framework for reclaiming agency over the stories that control your life. Whether you're struggling with family trauma, seeking spiritual growth, or working to build bridges across cultural divides, Curtice offers gentle wisdom that transcends religious and cultural boundaries. Featuring a foreword by Simran Jeet Singh and woven with contemplative poetry, Everything Is a Story offers hope-filled guidance for anyone ready to rewrite their narrative and embrace stories that foster genuine healing, connection, and transformation. Everything Is a Story follows a story's life cycle, like an acorn becoming an oak tree, and explores how narratives shape both our inner lives and our broader communities. With contemplative poetry woven throughout, it offers a hope-filled framework for reshaping our lives by reclaiming stories of courage, wholeness, and deep-rooted compassion. Praise for Kaitlin B. Curtice "Curtice is one of the braver writers I know. She won't smooth any edges for you, and she won't let you change the subject, but she'll support you digging as deeply for your roots as she has for hers." -- Barbara Brown Taylor , bestselling author of Holy Envy and Learning to Walk in the Dark "Curtice is a vital artist and teacher." -- Glennon Doyle , author of Untamed and cohost of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast "I'm so grateful for Curtice's voice." -- Nadia Bolz-Weber , bestselling author, speaker, and public theologian "Kaitlin is thoughtful decolonization set to music and wrapped in love." -- Sarah Bessey , editor of the New York Times bestseller A Rhythm of Prayer ; author of Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith "Curtice is an essential voice." -- Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg , author of Surprised by God and Nurture the Wow "Curtice is a brave truth-teller and a prophetic voice we need to be listening to." -- Richard Rohr, OFM , Center for Action and Contemplation "A beautiful book" Stories are alive--and they shape our personal lives and collective identities, for better and worse. In Everything Is a Story , award-winning Indigenous author Kaitlin B. Curtice considers how stories take root in our lives like an acorn that grows into an oak tree. Which stories should we pass on to future generations--and which can we finally let go? Curtice invites us to explore the power of story to liberate or limit us, to build compassion or create division. With gentle insights that speak to people across the spiritual spectrum, she guides us through the art of storytelling as a path toward healing and connection. "A beautiful book about the stories that make us who we are and connect us to the earth, the cosmos, and one another." -- Eboo Patel , founder and president, Interfaith America; author of We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy "As astute communicators know, we best understand our world not through data or evidence or reason but mostly through stories. That's why this is such a potentially powerful book for those who read it!" -- Bill McKibben , author of Here Comes the Sun "A guide for learning how to engage a story, with purpose and urgency and care. And like any skilled teacher, this book models for us precisely what it describes. It's a story about a story, infused with Kaitlin's wisdom and generosity." -- Simran Jeet Singh , from the foreword Kaitlin B. Curtice is an award-winning author, poet-storyteller, and public speaker. As an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi nation, she writes on the intersections of spirituality and identity and how that shifts throughout our lives. She also speaks on these topics to diverse audiences who are interested in truth-telling and healing. As an interspirit