Jack Brennan, a commanding presence in the world of sports media and a former quarterback defined by precision and control, loses everything the night his only child is taken from him. His son, a gifted, five-star football recruit on the brink of his future, leaves behind a silence so vast that it swallows Jack’s ambition, identity, and sense of worth.

Untethered and struggling to function inside the life he once curated, Jack finds himself at a spiritual crossroads. He withdraws from the world—until he discovers a note his son wrote shortly before his death. That single scrap of hope sets Jack on a cross-country journey to the American West.

As Jack continues westward, each stranger and each story becomes another circle inside his own, proof that connection is not an accident—it’s a force. Jack arrives in Montana and encounters an enigmatic Northern Cheyenne medicine woman who carries her own scars and wisdom. Through the sacred web of human connection, Jack is challenged to confront his grief and piece together a purpose greater than his pain and a story that defies the illusion of separation and connection. 

The Circles We Carry is a testament to the invisible threads that bind us and how love, in all its forms, endures beyond loss and the boundaries we believe separate us.

REVIEWS OF The Circles We Carry:

"Stephen Panus has written far more than a novel, he has crafted an unforgettable exploration of loss, love, redemption, and the invisible threads that connect us all. The Circles We Carry is emotionally rich, deeply human, riveting, and impossible to put down. Through compelling characters and masterful storytelling, Stephen Panus reminds us that while we cannot choose every burden we carry, we can choose what we become because of it. This is a book that will stay with readers long after they turn the final page. The Circles We Carry is reflective of Stephen’s courageous commitment to helping others along their journey."

— Mitch Davidowitz, MSW, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a psychotherapist and grief educator known globally

"Stephen Panus has crafted a heartfelt reflection on family, legacy, ambition, and the relationships that shape our lives. The Circles We Carry is a thoughtful, compelling, and deeply human novel. Knowing the author personally I knew I’d like the book, but wasn't expecting to be reflecting on the people and moments that have defined my own journey long after I finished reading it!"

— John O'Leary, National Bestselling Author of On Fire and In Awe

“The Circles We Carry is a harrowing story of deep love and painful loss. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that grief, like life, can lead in a full circle to new purpose.  Stephen Panus writes authentically from his heart to illuminate one family’s challenging journey, and encourages readers to learn from poignant lessons their loss lays bare.”

— Senator Richard Blumenthal

“Grief doesn't arrive in abstractions. It arrives in specifics, a backpack nobody can bring themselves to move, the silence where music used to drift down from upstairs, the way two people who love each other can grieve so differently they grow apart. Stephen Panus understands this in his bones, and it shows. The Circles We Carry captures something most writing about loss misses entirely: what grief actually does to the people left behind, and how, slowly and imperfectly, they find their way to carrying it, living with it and a new sense of love and purpose, but unburdened by it. I've walked alongside families in this kind of loss for over two decades. This book tells a powerful truth. It’s a must read.” 

— Jeff Kimball, President, The Healing Center by Empower Chang

“The Circles We Carry moves through worlds you wouldn't expect to share a page: big-time college football recruiting, the plains of Montana, a typical American family, the battlefields that shaped American history, and something bordering on the mystical unknown. The book takes us to all of these far-flung corners of American life and history and makes them feel like they all fit together perfectly. Because in a real way, they do. The life of Jack Brennan and the choices he makes in this book tell a story that is about far more than one man's unspeakable grief. It is a story about the project of America. It is a story about all of us.”

—  David Hill, author of The Vapors: A Southern Family, the New York Mob, and the Rise and Fall of Hot Springs, America's Forgotten Capital of Vice

“Stephen Panus weaves the horror and anguish of profound loss into a heartfelt, gripping work of fiction that explores the inseparable bond between love and sorrow, the transformative power of forgiveness, and the ways our past and present lives converge within the circles we carry. This powerful novel challenges the societal assumptions that too often diminish or misunderstand the life-altering reality of living after profound loss.

If you are looking for validation in your grief or seeking a better understanding of the grief of someone you love, or you simply love reading a great story, this book is a must read.”

—  Andy McNeil, Chief Executive Officer, The Compassionate Friends

“With breathtaking honesty, emotional depth, and a storyteller's gift for illuminating the human condition, Stephen Panus delivers a novel that lingers long after the final page. At once heartbreaking and hopeful, Panus invites readers into the depths of loss while revealing the extraordinary grace found inside friendship and faith. Through moments of both sorrow and wonder, he reminds us that love does not end when someone is gone, and that the bonds we share continue to shape us long after physical separation happens. Rich with humanity and ever hopeful, The Circles We Carry is a powerful testament to the enduring nature of love and the strength of the human spirit. I highly recommend this novel.”

— Stephanie Szostak, Actor, Author and Keynote Speaker