A deeply moving novel Available in both hardcover and ebooks about friendship, healing, identity, and rediscovering joy in the second act of life.
In Group Matters, Lee Van tells the heartfelt story of Linda — a widowed mother navigating aging, self-worth, relationships, and renewal with the support of the women who refuse to let her disappear.
Linda isn’t a twenty-something finding herself. She’s in her fifties, she’s been a wife, a mother, a caregiver — and she still wants more. If you’ve ever felt invisible in a world obsessed with youth, this book looks you in the eye and says: you still matter.
Marcy, Greg, and Linda don’t just support each other — they save each other. Their monthly group is where the real conversations happen: the doubts nobody admits, the dreams nobody says out loud. This is a book about what true community actually looks like.
No polished speeches. No tidy lessons. Group Matters reads like a conversation with your closest friend — real dialogue, gentle humor, and the kind of emotional honesty that makes you stop, catch your breath, and keep reading.
But What Happens When It’s Finally Time to Rediscover Yourself?
For Linda, life became routine after loss, motherhood, responsibility, and years of putting herself last.
But through friendship, faith, and honest conversations, she begins to remember something powerful:
She still matters.
Group Matters is a heartfelt story for every woman who has ever wondered if her best years are already behind her.
A widowed counselor learning how to reclaim her voice, confidence, and joy.
The loyal friend who brings humor, honesty, and strength when life gets heavy.
Also a loyal friend to Linda, is gay, full of life, and always dependable.
Friend and co-worker of Linda, who, for the most part, is cheerful and outgoing.
Wise elder woman, friend/neighbor of Linda, who resides within the same building.
Married friend to Linda, who is very outspoken and inquisitive.
Friend to Linda, who is a registered nurse, and a widower, who maintains a positive demeanor.
Friend to Cynthia, married with personal issues to reveal.
Married cousin to Marcy, is low-key, until she consumes several alcoholic drinks.
Friend to Marcy, single mother of two adult children, who has dealt with low self-esteem for most of her adult life.
Rediscover hope, healing, friendship, and the courage to begin again with Group Matters.
Urban / contemporary inspirational fiction.
The story is fictional but inspired by real emotions, relationships, and life experiences.
Readers who enjoy emotionally driven stories centered around friendship, healing, and personal growth.
Yes. Lee Van makes a powerful debut with this heartfelt story.
Group Matters is a heartfelt story about friendship, healing, faith, and rediscovering yourself at any stage of life. Written by Lee Van, this inspiring debut novel reminds readers that it’s never too late to begin a new chapter.
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