Review of The Storms As They Roll In by Maureen Rose Morley

Published in The Zebra Press, Alexandria, Virginia

December 6, 2025

Reviewed by: Ralph Peluso, Literary Editor

Zebra Rating: 5 Stripes

On December 11, 2006, Maureen Rose Morley passed away, surrounded by her loving husband, cherished family, and friends. She had lost her battle with breast cancer. But that wasn’t the end of the story; that’s where it began. You see, Maureen left a disarrayed collection of writings from the time of her diagnosis until she was unable to write.

“Maureen and I shared a love of literature and writing,” said her sister, Barbara Leary. “When she knew she was dying, she told me she was leaving her writings to me and hoped I might be able to publish some of it. I told her I would. It felt like a sacred duty, but it took me almost 20 years to feel ready to take it on.” Leary fulfilled Maureen’s wish, sharing the emotions and deepest feelings of her final journey. Leary continued, “So much of the writing was in bits and pieces—in digital files, in boxes, in notebooks—and I couldn’t figure out how to knit it together. And part of it was that reading her work was just so painful. I still miss Maureen every day.”

The Storms As They Roll In, posthumously published, is a powerful assemblage of essays, reflections, and prayers written by a young woman, documenting her final journey upon learning she had Stage 4 breast cancer. Morley didn’t write about death, but rather about life, love, courage, and vulnerability when confronting the unknown. How does someone so young do this? “Faith,” said Steve Morley, a pastor in England and the love of Maureen’s life. He added, “Faith gave her a center and identity located outside the cancer. Living with cancer was really hard at times, but Maureen never let it define who she was. She’d come back from treatment or support group meetings and say, ‘I don’t know how people who don’t have a faith get by when facing cancer’.” Maureen bared her soul about faith’s role in providing strength while she was dealing with daily highs and lows. Steve added, “You can see that God brought her during the three years of treatment to a place where she no longer feared death but was able to accept its coming. That was a God-given blessing. Not all deaths are so easy.”

Whether Maureen possessed the indomitable spirit of a seeker, was an adventurer, or had divine intervention, the fact is she quit a terrific job, left her Warrenton, VA, home and traveled three thousand miles to attend Regent College in Vancouver, BC. Leary added, “By the time we arrived, I was convinced it was the right move. We didn’t share the same views of faith and God, but, as the book reveals, it truly was as if divine intervention guided her … everything she ever wanted was waiting for her there.” That’s where she met Steve.

A native of Annandale, Virginia, the ninth of ten children, Maureen graduated from Virginia Tech and continued her studies at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After a brief internship at a New York City VA hospital, she returned home.

The Storms As They Roll In is a raw, deeply personal journal about life after a devastating prognosis. Don’t just read, absorb Maureen’s musings that cover things from chemo and hospital stay drudgery to the quiet moments of pain and joy. Her work is a testament to the power of deeply rooted love and a caring support system. And a faith that enabled her to accept death, not fear it. This work provides powerful insights from someone with limited time who chose to spend it reflecting, connecting, and giving.

Review of The Climbing Tree by Barbara Leary

Published in Northern Virginia Magazine

February 201

By Kate Bianco

THE AUTHOR: Barbara Leary

THE BOOK: The Climbing Tree

THE GENRE: Children’s Literature

LIVES IN: Purcellville

THE STORY: A grandmother of three, Leary has written children’s books with each of her granddaughters in a starring role. Her first, The Climbing Tree, was inspired by her oldest grandaughter, Eleanor. “She had this tree that I taught her how to climb in her yard in Falls Church. She became obsessed. She was so heartbroken when they moved. I saw the book as a way of honoring those feelings and creating something together,” says Leary. The Climbing Tree was self-published, and it took home first prize (out of 1,800 entries) in the Writer’s Digest annual Self-Published Book Awards.

NoVA CONNECTIONS: Leary grew up in Arlington, was raised in Fairfax and now lives in Purcellville. She says the diversity and beauty of the region infl uence her work. “As somebody who likes to work in nature, all the books [feature] nature somehow. It’s just a beautiful place to be,” Leary says. She also notes, “I try with each of the books to work in some diversity that [the characters] encounter. That’s another thing that I love about Northern Virginia.” The vastness of NoVA also plays a part in her creative process. Her granddaughters live in Alexandria, and the car rides to her Purcellville home are where the three, ages 7, 5 and 3, discuss the plots of the books—and even get some inspiration for their own future writing careers. Says Leary of the star of The Climbing Tree, “Eleanor herself is working on a book.”