TYLER, TX - OCTOBER 20, 2026 - Jennifer Hope Longenecker’s new book Held in the Dark is a dual-voice guide for parents and teens who feel utterly alone in one of the most frightening seasons of their family's life.
Held in the Dark, broken into six parts, was written for that moment and for every agonizing, uncertain step that follows.
What makes Held in the Dark distinctive is that it is co-authored by a mother and the daughter who lived through an eating disorder and recovered. Readers are invited to see the experience from both sides of the table.
“When a parent learns their child has an eating disorder, the world tilts. The questions come fast, the fear runs deep, and the isolation can feel absolute.” - Jennifer Hope Longenecker
Jennifer Hope Longenecker writes as a trauma-informed coach and mother who has stood exactly where these parents stand. Heather Elizabeth writes as a young woman who recovered and now wants parents to understand what their child cannot yet say.
Drawing on Jennifer’s training as a certified mental health coach and her personal experience as a parent, it explores how to understand what your child is truly experiencing while navigating medical, therapeutic, and school systems without losing yourself. It also addresses how to care for your own mental and emotional health while caregiving, find faith and hope in the darkness without resorting to toxic positivity, and rebuild trust and connection throughout the recovery journey.
Held in the Dark is available now. You can purchase your copy here.
About Jennifer Hope Longenecker
Jennifer Hope Longenecker is the author of Held in the Dark (Hope*Books, 2026), written for parents of adolescents navigating eating disorders — a road she walked with her daughter, and one she had walked herself. Jennifer has a degree in Scripture and Theology from LeTourneau University, is a certified mental health coach, and serves as president of Friends of the Library, supporting the Rusk County Library. She also owns Rooted Book Co., a faith-based nonfiction bookstore specializing in mental health, and lives in Henderson, Texas.
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