Memory in the Clay Is Here!

A Story Rooted in the Past, Written for Today

I’m so excited (and a little nervous!) to share that my very first book, Memory in the Clay, has officially been published.

In a way, this story has lived in my heart for a long time. Since college, really, when I first participated in an archaeology field school. If you're not familiar, field school is where aspiring archaeologists step into the dirt and do the real work: from planning an excavation to digging through layers of earth, to carefully studying the artifacts left behind by those who came before us.

During that experience, I found pottery shards, shell tools, and bits of daily life long buried. But the artifact that left the biggest impression on me wasn’t the rarest or the most complete. It was a simple shell cup, smoothed by time and worn in just the right places. When I picked it up, my fingers naturally settled into the same grooves once held by someone hundreds of years ago. In that quiet moment, I felt something powerful: a direct connection across time. I didn’t know their name, their story, or what became of them. But somehow, through this small object, we touched.

That moment stayed with me. And now, years later, it’s helped shape Memory in the Clay.

What the Story Is About

Memory in the Clay follows a young girl named Sula, living in the woodlands of ancient Florida. Her people live close to the land gathering from the springs, telling stories passed down through generations, and building shell mounds that rise from the earth like monuments to memory. Sula is a potter’s apprentice, but her heart is drawn to something different, a mysterious swirl pattern she keeps seeing in nature.

As Sula begins to carve this swirl into clay, she doesn’t yet know the quiet ripple her actions will create. But like many people in real history, her small act of creativity and courage becomes part of something much bigger.

Sula represents the multitudes throughout time, especially women, children, and everyday people, who chose to do something different, something meaningful, even when no one was watching. And yet, their impact echoes forward, shaping the world long after they’re gone.

A Book Inspired by Real History

This story is fiction, but it’s rooted in real archaeology and cultural traditions from Florida’s Late Archaic period (around 2600–1500 BCE). The shell mounds, the pottery, the springs, they're all inspired by places and artifacts I’ve studied or seen with my own hands.

I've loved history for as long as I can remember. This book is a tribute to that love, and to the people, known and unknown, whose lives shaped the land we walk on today.

What's Inside the Book

The printed edition of Memory in the Clay includes:

• A complete 6 chapter illustrated story

• Watercolor style artwork throughout

• An author’s note and epilogue

• A bonus version of Sula’s dream

• Reflections in the Clay, a space for readers to explore their own memories and creativity

• The World Behind the Story, featuring real artifacts and landscapes that inspired the book

There’s also a Teacher Resource Pack available for educators, homeschool families, or curious learners who want to dive deeper with vocabulary, writing prompts, historical passages, and more.

We Never Know the Impact...

One of the quiet themes running through this book is the idea that we never really know how our words, actions, or creations will ripple into the future. Maybe something you make today will sit silently for years until one day, someone picks it up, and it fits perfectly in their hands.

Sula’s story is fictional. But her courage, her questions, her swirl carved into clay, those things are real. And I believe they live in each of us.

Thank You

Thank you for being here and for sharing in this moment with me. If you read Memory in the Clay, I’d love to hear what resonated with you. And if you enjoy stories like this—rooted in memory, nature, and quiet transformation—I have more to come. This is only the beginning.

With gratitude,
Sharhan