When Molly Dee Wells sat down to write her debut novel, The Girl in the Shoebox, she wasn’t trying to chase a trend or fit into a specific literary mold. Instead, she was writing the kind of story she rarely saw on shelves—one rooted in emotional complexity, layered identities, and the quieter, often overlooked bonds that shape us.
Released in January 2025, The Girl in the Shoebox follows a group of individuals—many of them adoptees—whose lives intersect through a shared desire to uncover hidden parts of their past. What begins as one woman’s personal search soon unravels into a collective journey of connection, trust, and unexpected family.
But at its core, the novel also addresses representation—not in the flashy or performative sense, but in deeply personal ways. Through her characters, Wells brings visibility to the emotional nuance of international adoption, found family, and the inner lives of women navigating mental health, identity, and cultural dislocation.
“I wanted to tell a story about people on the margins—not necessarily because society put them there, but because they just didn’t fit into neat boxes,” Wells said in a recent interview from her home in the Pacific Northwest. “I wrote the book I was looking for. One that explored the gray areas of identity, adoption, and belonging. One that gave space to the stories we don’t usually hear.”
“These are not characters with all the answers,” she explained further. “They’re people figuring things out as they go. And I think that’s more reflective of real life than we usually admit. Especially for people who’ve grown up feeling like they don’t fully belong to one place or story.”
Wells, who has worked in community wellness and storytelling spaces, believes that fiction can be a powerful tool for empathy—not just for readers, but for writers as well. “This book taught me how to listen better,” she said. “It reminded me that sometimes, the most powerful stories are the quiet ones. The ones we don’t see until someone finally says them out loud.”
As The Girl in the Shoebox continues to resonate with readers across generations, Wells hopes it opens the door for more complex narratives especially from voices that have long gone unheard.
The Girl in the Shoebox is available for purchase on Amazon. For more information about Molly Dee Wells and her work, visit: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorMollyDeeWells/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormollydeewells/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@authormollydeewells
About Molly Dee Wells
Molly Dee Wells lives in the Pacific Northwest with her spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats. Adopted from India and raised in the USA, she earned a degree in Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality in 2004. When not exploring the outdoors, Molly enjoys reading Mystery, YA, Historical Fiction, and Biographies. She’s always up for a conversation about her love for tacos and Doctor Who.
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