A woman about to give birth can’t stop thinking about her last pregnancy, which ended in a miscarriage. An exhausted mother is admitted to the psych ward after too many sleepless nights. A young athlete might have a concussion. A grandmother needs a new knee. Another grandmother is dying slowly, too slowly for some staff. The women in Goodness travel through the same hospital doors looking for help. All of them deserve care and kindness. Not all of them will find it.

Coming late 2026! Check back for updates.

Goodness is a collection of short stories about women experiencing relatable healthcare issues, set in a hospital. If you’ve ever had a health problem and felt dismissed, ridiculed, or abandoned by people you turned to for help, this book is for you.

Contents:

Knees—an elderly woman has to rely on her detested son-in-law after knee replacement surgery

Maternity—a woman in labour has overwhelming doubts because of her previous pregnancy, which ended in miscarriage

Hysterical—a bitter, frustrated nurse demands a hysterectomy and is unprepared for the complications

Fuchsia—a mother resists her mental illness diagnosis out of fear of being readmitted to the psych ward

Numb—a daughter witnesses a physical assault within her family, and has a dangerous, life-threatening reaction

Confined—a young hockey player is hit too hard during a game and learns a lesson while following concussion protocol

Dirty—an underappreciated woman who works at the hospital finally learns what is causing her extreme pain

Boundaries—a young mother trying to balance work and caring for her young toddler receives an incredible shock

Options—a woman accompanying her husband for a routine appointment is completely unprepared for the doctor’s assessment

Sick—after surviving breast cancer years ago, a woman loses everything except her life and has to learn to adapt

Entitled—a rich woman refuses to admit her mistakes and instead works to destroy a dedicated hospital employee

Pressure—a baby sees her mother falling apart but doesn’t know how to help

Gratitude—there are support groups for hospital patients or family members who need them, but what happens when the woman running the support groups needs support?

Survival—an elderly woman keeps holding on to life despite the hospital staff, and one of her daughters, who want her to let go

Ashes—what makes a good legacy and what if we don’t think about it until it’s too late?

To be published in late fall, 2026, by Chaell Press.

Also by Charise Jewell:

© Charise Jewell 2026