Here Be Dragons

Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls, and Generational Trauma

De: Melanie Shankle

Narrado por: Melanie Shankle

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Nobody’s Cuter than You comes a poignant, deeply personal story about trusting God to heal generational wounds so you can be a strong, loving presence for your teenage daughter.

In medieval times, uncharted waters were marked on maps as Here Be Dragons to signify that no one knew what dangers might lie ahead. Melanie Shankle quips that the years spent raising our teenage daughters could be labeled the same due to the uncertainties before us.

Like a lot of moms, Melanie found herself in need of a parenting map when her teenage daughter, Caroline, entered her sophomore year of high school where she encountered relentless mean girls and brutal heartache. While trying to equip her daughter to deal with the toxic social dynamics of high school, Melanie was hit with a cruel realization: The shame, criticism, and verbal abuse she had endured throughout her own life was wrought by one particular mean girl—her own mother.

Melanie hoped to raise her daughter to be a warrior, and she realized she couldn’t do that unless she became healthy enough to fight her own dragons. She invites you into her story as she explores her complex family dynamics, discovering what it takes for any of us to survive and ultimately thrive in spite of wounds that remain. This was the beginning of her journey of trusting God to help break generational cycles that had told the women in her family to find their value in everything but His love.

Filled with personal stories and written in the same whimsical and honest style Melanie is known for, Here Be Dragons will have you both laughing out loud and crying—as you confront the challenges of raising your own strong, independent daughter while fighting dragons along the way.

©2025 Melanie Shankle (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Looking back on my thirty years of counseling girls and families, I believe it’s never been harder to be a girl—or to raise one. Much of the difficulty results from what our girls are encountering, and much stems from what we encountered—or didn’t—during our own growing-up years. Raising a teenager to be emotionally and socially healthy can feel like a daunting and insurmountable task—since we didn’t have a road map to achieve this ourselves. But it doesn’t have to be, especially if we have friends a little farther down the road, who are willing to be honest about their own fears and failings, as well as the truth and hope they’ve found along the way. Melanie Shankle is such a friend. Here Be Dragons is written with the kindness and honesty of a big sister, the candor of a best friend, and the humility and grace of one whose heart is to point us to the One who has saved her from all the dragons.”—Sissy Goff, M.Ed., LPC-MHSP, executive director of Daystar Counseling and bestselling author of The Worry-Free Parent

“Girl moms have waited a long time for this guidance, and Melanie Shankle delivers it with integrity, wisdom, and perfectly timed humor. How do you handle mean girls without becoming one too? How do you rise above the childhood trauma inflicted by your own mother? In an age in which many families must navigate toxic relationships—inside their home and outside it, too—this book offers clarity, hope, and a carefully discerned road map on how best to move forward. Melanie is living proof that a healthy family can come from you, even if you don’t come from a healthy family—and that peace is possible when God is your guide. I found myself crying and cheering for Melanie and her daughter as they learned to stand up for themselves, stop the mean-girl cycle, and still choose kindness. The generational impact of Here Be Dragons can’t be overstated.”—Kari Kampakis, author of Love Her Well and host of the Girl Mom podcast

Relatable stories to my own life

I highly recommend this book to ANY mother!! I can’t fathom the relatable stories but also her guidance in how she turned to God to help her through the most difficult times in her life!! Thank you for writing this book! I think I cried listening to the whole thing. At the end I wept as a mother of a teen daughter in hopes that both my girls grow up being able to slay their dragons in their lives! Thank you for helping me see my strong willed youngest daughter I know Is going to do such Amazing things and helping me be an encouragement to her and always be there for her and to listen to them when they tell me about their day and struggles in school! This book is an 10!! Just amazing!

Pretty Good

The story was good and would have been more my style if it wasn’t so hokey, although I understand that the social group that Melanie lives with is generally that way. Along with the religiosity, which ironically is largely subject to the same societal governance unfortunately. But it’s quick and funny, and she conveys a fun personality through her style of reading.

Best work, yet

Thank you for telling this story. It hit home in so many ways. From having a bipolar mother suffering with dementia to raising two teenage daughters, your story helps me feel a little more normal. Thank for your wisdom, bravery, and courage to write this book.

Heart wrenching yet real life.

This is a must read for every mom of girls, every empty nester or nearly empty nester, and well… basically everyone who has parents. 😜

A Profound Experience in Navigating a Difficult Relationship

Melanie wrote about her relationships. As a child of a disfunctional parent, I appreciate her vulnerability in sharing her relationship with her Mom.

Worth it!

I listen to the book in one day. I started it on my hour walk and then I listened while I got dress and then I listened while I was running errands and the next thing I knew it was complete.
Such a good relatable read not in specifics, but in the character building challenges we face with ourselves and our female relationships.

WOW!

This book is amazing. I felt like I was reading a book about my own life. The things she went through with her mother I have also gone through. It matches my situation almost too closely! It’s nice to know I’m not alone in my troubles. This book is a book I will think about for the rest of my life. Read it.

Everyone has dragons

I loved this book. I have listened to Melanie and Sophie’s podcast for years but this is the first book of Melanie’s I have read. It was beautiful, inspiring

Healing

A complete redemption story. Filled with hope and grace. A reminder of how God never leaves us shows his love through some of our darkest times.

The relevance of this book!

Melanie puts into words perfectly the feelings and the coming to the point of gratitude of God fulfilling your dream for breaking generational cycles. My daughter ordered me this book in November and has been dying for it to get here and me to read it but true to God’s timing tonight was the night I was supposed to read it. Thank you for sharing your journey. Today could be a long day at work as it is now 4:20 am. 💕💕