An Incredible True Story About Family, Love and Forgiveness
“This is one of the most moving and, ultimately, hopeful books I have ever read." —Jean M. Bartunek, PhD, professor of management and organization, Boston College and former president of the Academy of Management


Finalist 2021 Eric Hoffer Award
#1 New Release in Mennonite Christianity


After being publicly humiliated in front of her entire close-knit Mennonite community, Marlena Fiol didn't know how she would recover. Follow her journey from an abusive upbringing in Paraguay to escape, love, and loss in the United States and finally on to forgiveness and reconciliation.

Discover a story of healing and personal transformation. Marlena's childhood was full of contradictions. Her father was both a heroic doctor for people with leprosy and an abusive parent. Her Mennonite missionary community was both a devoted tribe and a controlling society. And Marlena longed to both be accepted in Paraguay and escape to somewhere new. In Nothing Bad Between Us, follow Marlena's journey as she takes control of her life and learns to be her authentic self, scars and imperfections included.

Uncover inner peace―and inner strength.  Nothing Bad Between Us is a story of brokenness and eventual redemption that taps into our collective yearning for healing and forgiveness. As you read Marlena's story, you will:



Learn how to forgive yourself and others without giving up your personal growth and self-confidence
Discover that transformation and redemption often exist even in the most broken parts of who you are
Find out how to stand in your power, knowing that vulnerability won't lead to your downfall, but to increasing courage, connection, and authenticity



Readers of memoirs about family, self-healing, and the strength of a woman like The Glass Castle, Love Warrior, and Leaving the Witness will be captivated by Nothing Bad Between Us.

Foreword by: Phil Cousineau