From memoir to children’s tales, exploring identity, family, belonging, and the ways love and loss transform us.
Welcome to My Online Home!
I’m Julie Ryan McGue, a storyteller who writes about the search for self, the meaning of connection, the ways love and loss shape who we become, and the moments—quirky, tender, transformative—hat give life its texture. I believe in writing that heals, uplifts, and reminds us that finding our place in the world is a lifelong adventure.
On this site, you’ll find information about my books, That Girl, This Life blog, and upcoming appearances and events.
As an adoptee, identical twin, mother, widow, and grandmother, my life has given me many perspectives to draw from. These experiences inform everything I write. From memoir to children’s literature, each writing project is guided by curiosity, compassion, and wonder for how we find our place in the world.
I have published three works of nonfiction. My debut memoir, Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging (2021), chronicles the five-year search to connect with my birth family. Belonging Matters: Conversations on Adoption, Family, and Kinship (2023) is a collection exploring the needs to know oneself and for connection. My newest memoir, Twice the Family (2025), traces my coming-of-age as a twin and adoptee growing up in a large, blended family.
I also write for younger readers. The “Let’s Go with Lulu” picture book series begins with Jack and Lulu Go to the Tree Farm (Muse Literary, 2025) inspired by my family’s real tree farm. It celebrates family, legacy, and the quiet magic of nature. The second book in the series, DJ and Lulu Go to the Car Wash, releases in August 2026, and features adventures with my oldest grandson.
My wish is that you’ll stay here for a while and discover writing that resonates. And when you leave, I hope you carry with you a new idea, a spark of connection, or a story that lingers in your heart.
“An engaging, endearing chronicle of a woman’s quest to find her origins.” – Kirkus Review
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New Release
RELEASE DATE: Sept 16, 2025
Published by Muse Literary
Jack and Lulu Go to the Tree Farm
By Julie Ryan McGue (and Illustrated by Mariia Stepanova)
Jack and Lulu Go to the Tree Farm is a lyrical and heartfelt tale about a boy named Jack who visits Weatherwood Walnut Farm. His great-grandfather once dreamed of planting a walnut farm as a gift for future generations—a dream carried forward by his family. Now, Jack has the chance to choose a tree of his own.
When he discovers a small oak standing proud among the saplings, Jack feels an instant connection. With a tiny surprise nestled in its branches and the weight of a legacy that takes root in him, Jack learns that family love can grow and endure like the strongest of trees.
Perfect for readers who cherish Miss Rumphius and The Giving Tree, this story celebrates growth, remembrance, and belonging across family seasons.
JACK AND LULU GO TO THE TREE FARM – REVIEW BY KIRKUS
A family legacy lives on alongside growing trees in this tenderhearted book.
In McGue’s picture book, 4-year-old Jack visits his grandmother at the family tree farm and feels an immediate connection to a little sapling.
The story of Weatherwood Walnut Farm began with Louie, Jack’s great-grandfather, who dreamed of planting gorgeous walnut trees that would last. After Louie passed on, his son, Steve, shared his devotion to nature and eventually planted a tree farm, hoping that it would flourish for generations. Steve is no longer alive when his grandson Jack visits the farm, but the little boy clearly feels a bond with his family there. Jack chooses a young oak tree to call his own and dreams of seeing it grow as “tall and strong” as his grandmother Lulu’s tree and “shading all who come to visit.” As Jack grows into adulthood, his tree grows as well, just as his ancestors dreamed. McGue delivers a warm, tender tale for kids that effectively serves as a gentle introduction to themes of family history. The story offers a sweet reminder of nature’s ability to connect people to the past and future, and the tree farm provides an appealing background for exploring Jack’s ancestry and growth. Stepanova’s painterly illustrations are lovely, conveying a sense of quiet magic from time spent in the outdoors.
A family legacy lives on alongside growing trees in this tenderhearted book.
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That Girl, This Life
Weekly posts that focus on identity, family, and life’s quirky moments.
I’m a Miss Rumphius Wannabe
I’m a Miss Rumphius Wannabe. Are you?
The Art of Knowing
The secret I learned from snooping as a kid.
When the Heart Widens
The heart doesn’t replace—it expands.
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June 20, I look forward to connecting with fellow local authors at the Chicago Writer’s Association conference in downtown Chicago. This year’s event is at The Steppenwolf Theatre.
On August 15, The second book in my Let’s Go with Lulu children’s book series, DJ and Lulu Go to the Car Wash, launches! Details forthcoming. Story is based on the real-life story about adventures with my oldest grandson.
September 6-22, I will hike a section of the El Camino again with Laura Davis’ group, The Writer’s Journey. I plan to do research for a third memoir about my journey through love and loss while hiking the Camino in 2024.
October 9-11, I will attend the She Writes Press author retreat at the Westin Rancho Mirage Resort in Palm Springs, CA. Thrilled to be selected as a presenter for the panel, “Marketing for Memoirists.”
Follow Julie by visiting her website, subscribe to her bimonthly newsletters, and listen to previous podcast recordings where she discusses topics like adoption, identity, family relationships, sisterhood and belonging.
