From remote shores to shadowed swamps, women find strength where the world forgets to look.

A young woman crosses continents in a desperate bid to rescue a childhood friend from the confines of an abuse-induced agoraphobia. Under cover of night, an octogenarian sneaks out of her home and goes on the run in a last-ditch attempt to escape those who would make her age a cage. A grandmother seeks connection with a grandchild taken before she was ever known. Women find their strength amid the loss of children, grandchildren, of their own agency and sense of self. With the lyrical language and keen sense of place that readers of Marshall’s novels have come to know, these stories transport the reader from the wilds of remote Scottish islands to the swamps of South Carolina.

These are tales of outsiders, of survivors connecting deeply with the natural world–with seas and skies and what lies between. As they battle fear, abuse, mental illness and oppressive societal norms, each of their tales offers hope and a guide to ways of claiming our fullness even in the most challenging circumstances.

Between Sea and Sky(Vine Leaves Press) is now available for preorder; it releases on February 24, 2026.

Advance Review Excerpts:

“This is absolutely the most beautiful and powerful collection of short stories I have ever read. These stories make one feel all of the feels.” –Chandi

“The short story collection, Between Sea and Sky, by Heather G. Marshall, guides us through fifteen stories that explore the fragile, often painful bonds between people, particularly within families, and the quiet resilience that sustains them. The stories that stuck with me are those that focus on the relationships of mother and child and the hardships, hopes, and fears that follow within these relationships, including “Substrata,” “As Good as a Feast,” “Clear Blue Line,” and “Behind the Veil.” Marshall’s vivid language and thoughtful scenes highlight each character’s struggle and frustration, conveying sorrow while still leaving room for hope and fulfillment.”–Tony Heck

“An intimate short story collection about what we inherit from parents, what they try (and perhaps fail) to protect us from, and what we carry away from childhood. 
Across lives shaped by water, land, and distance, these stories trace how love both shelters and limits. Many stories center on moments of threshold, especially around parenthood, loss, and return…Taken together, the collection gains power through accumulation. These stories understand that love and damage often arrive together, and that what we inherit is rarely simple. It reminded me that identity is formed by what we are given and what we learn to carry.”–Katie