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—that 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.
Heartfelt children’s tales of legacy, love, and adventure – REVIEW BY Forword reviews
Interview with Julie Ryan McGue, Author of the Let’s Go with Lulu Series of Children’s Books
With their muse in mind, more than a few authors might be nervous about pointing their pen in a new direction in the midst of a writing career, especially those talented enough to have written several acclaimed books. But today’s guest, Julie Ryan McGue, shows no sign of being superstitious about her switch from memoirs and essays to children’s picture books. In fact, she found the transition electrifying.
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That Girl, This Life
Weekly posts that focus on identity, family, and life’s quirky moments.
Two Books, Two Publishers, One Exciting Year
Big Book News: Two Publishing Adventures for 2027
When the Body Fails, the Route Changes
When the Camino says: Be Still
Mom’s Mail
The Little Lies Caregiving Requires.
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October 15, Papa Rick Harris has invited me to guest on his award-winning podcast, “Adventures in the Heart of Children’s Book Authors.” We will discuss my foray into the children’s picture book market with my Let’s Go with Lulu series.
October 21-22, I look forward to connecting with fellow Atmosphere Press authors during our Fall Writer’s Summit.
October 27: I’m co-teaching a webinar for the Author Learning Center at 1:30-2:30 ET with author Jennifer Briggs, titled: Memoir or Fiction: Choosing the Path That’s Right For You.
October 23-25: I’ll be joining fellow Florida writers at Florida WritersCon in Orlando, Florida. The FWA Collection, Volume18: Fragments anthology will be released during the conference. I’m proud to have one of my essays included in the collection.
November 2-30, I will be participating in Deb Landwehr Engle’s month-long course at Story Summit called The Writer’s Miracle Method which is based on Deb’s hot new release by the same title.
November 19, thrilled to be a panelist for the She Writes Press C.A.M.P community when we gather with an expert from NetGalley to discuss book reviews.
March 8 – 12, 2027: I will attend the Her Spirit women’s writing retreat put on by Story Summit in Tucson, Arizona at El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort.
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.
