Still Breathing

My Journey with Love, Loss, and Reinvention

By: Katie Joy Duke

Narrated by: Katie Joy Duke

A surprise pregnancy ends tragically for newlyweds Katie and Eli when their daughter, Poppy, is stillborn. Devastated by her baby’s death, Katie begins a quest of reinvention. She learns how to ask for help and give herself grace while healing, changing careers, and building community.

Perhaps you have suffered a life-altering loss and have wounds to heal. Still Breathing: My Journey with Love, Loss, and Reinvention, by Katie Joy Duke, explores how vulnerability is a source of power, how acceptance forges a path to freedom, and how creativity heals. Still Breathing: My Journey with Love, Loss, and Reinvention speaks to bereaved parents, families, and grieving individuals willing to shine a light on their love and their loss. In listening to this book, you will discover that just like Katie's, your story matters and your grief deserves to be felt, seen, and heard. Her story normalizes our collective pain and uses empathy, vulnerability, and love to nurture the places that hurt within all of us.

©2022 Katie Joy Duke (P)2023 Katie Joy Duke

Critic reviews

"Still Breathing is deeply honest, heartbreaking, and transformative. Grief and love are irrevocably woven together in this narrative. As I listened to her words, Katie Duke's beloved daughter Poppy found a place in my heart. I am certain Poppy will find a place in your heart, too." (Amy Wright Glenn, author of Holding Space: On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go)

"Katie Joy Duke has a singular and electrifying voice that not only demands to be read but also to be heard. Her performance of Still Breathing is a gift." (Jennifer Pastiloff, national best-selling author of On Being Human: A Memoir of Waking Up, Living Real, and Listening Hard)

"Katie Joy’s heartfelt words and melodic voice synergize in this incredibly powerful story of unimaginable loss, understanding, love, growth, and hope. I very highly recommend a listen." (Jeff Leisawitz, author of Not F*ing Around: The No Bullsh*t Guide for Getting Your Creative Dreams Off the Ground)

Moved to My Core - Listened Twice in a Row

I was so deeply moved by Katie Joy Duke's story that I listened to this entire audiobook twice in a row. Her journey through the devastating loss of her daughter Poppy and her father, and her path to healing, touched me deeply.
Katie's own narration is what makes this audiobook truly special. Hearing her tell her story in her own voice - with all the raw emotion, vulnerability, and hard-won wisdom - creates an intimacy that's impossible to replicate. She doesn't shy away from the depths of grief, but shows how love can transform even the deepest pain.
As a therapist and spiritual medium, I've witnessed many grief journeys, but Katie's ability to "hold space" - as she calls it - for her own grief is a masterclass in presence. Her practice of staying present with what was arising in her, rather than stuffing or running from the pain, offers such a powerful teaching. So many people flee from their deepest emotions, but Katie shows us another way. Her message that "it always comes back down to one word, which is love" resonated deeply with me both professionally and personally.
This isn't just a memoir - it's a guide for anyone navigating loss. Katie shows us we can hold incredible grief and incredible love at the same time. I've already started recommending this to clients who've lost children or parents, knowing it will offer them both validation and hope.
"Still Breathing" is a true phoenix story - rising from devastating loss to create something whole and beautiful. I have a garden full of California poppies every year, and now I will think of Katie Joy and her daughter Poppy as an example of that phoenix rising. Katie Joy Duke has given us a gift in sharing her journey so openly.

A beautiful tribute

“ Still Breathing” It is a Beautiful tribute to Katie's stillborn daughter, Poppy, and also to the incredible love of her family, her father especially. I was really touched by the Phoenix rising image in the leaf and with the ocean of grief and how her process spoke of the poignant yet transformative power of the type of tragedy that she went through. Thanks for sharing so bravely.

Still Breathing reveals the pain and healing process of a grieving mother

Katie Joy Duke, has a lovely narrating voice. Her book is well written, honest, and passionate. She adds a positive spin to grief. As she openly shares her raw story of losing her first child at birth, mothers and family members alike can relate, and understand what it means to go through such a terrible loss. She is driven and spiritual, and her book is heartwarming and refreshing.

Heartfelt, something a loss mom can relate to

I am a fellow loss mom who lost my first baby in 2022 and welcomed my second son in 2023. I loved how Katie read her own story and how she told her and Poppy’s story. May Poppy and our babies gone too soon always be remembered and honored.

Touching, Heartfelt & Relatable

I already loved reading the paper copy of this book and just adored the opportunity to listen to Katie share her story in her words with her voice.

Such a beautiful book that highlights some of the experiences that are common with grieving a baby which is so appreciated and helpful to mothers going through the unthinkable unexpected loss of their baby