2/12 Program: Local Author April Day Garcia on Sobriety, Recovery, Resilience
Sally Stieglitz
11:00am - 12:00pm (Zoom)
In this session, author April Day Garcia introduces the healing framework behind her memoir The Room to Be Brave, a framework that grew out of both her recovery journey and a lifetime of finding refuge in libraries and books. April explores the idea that we all carry “rooms” inside us. These rooms are shaped by early experiences, relationships, and moments where we first learned something about who we are, what we deserve, and how safe it is to take up space. Some of these rooms become places we avoid. Others quietly influence our beliefs, behaviors, and exhaustion without us realizing it. Drawing from personal story, recovery work, and the process that led her to write her book, April shares how returning to these inner rooms with support, reflection, and compassion became the foundation of her healing. What began as a memoir evolved into a framework that helps people look beyond surface habits and into the deeper origins of their patterns, beliefs, and coping strategies. This session weaves storytelling with insight into how belief systems are formed, how they shape the way we live and relate, and how revisiting the emotional “rooms” that shaped us can open the door to healing, self-trust, and meaningful change. It also honors the powerful role books and libraries play as real-life rooms of refuge, reflection, and transformation. Participants will leave with: • A new lens for understanding how early experiences shape adult behavior • Insight into the connection between beliefs, burnout, and change • A gentle, accessible framework for personal reflection and growth • A deeper appreciation for the role of stories and libraries in emotional wellness April Day Garcia is a Long Island–based author and speaker whose work centers on courage, identity, and emotional healing. She is the author of The Room to Be Brave, a memoir and healing framework that explores the “rooms” that shape us: the early experiences that quietly inform how we see ourselves, how we cope, and how we show up in the world. After getting sober, April was able to return to her own story with clarity and compassion. What began as a memoir evolved into a framework that now guides others back to the inner spaces where beliefs are formed and healing can begin. Through speaking engagements and workshops, April weaves together emotional truth, generational patterns, motherhood, and resilience, helping audiences explore the stories they carry and reconnect with who they were before the world told them who to be. April also works as an occupational therapy assistant, is the president and co-founder of the JD BUILDS Foundation, and the owner and operator of Be Brave Travel, an accessible travel agency. She lives on Long Island with her husband and 15-year-old daughter. | ||
Sally Stieglitz (she/her)
Communications & Outreach Coordinator | Long Island Library Resources Council
Editor-in-Chief, Association of Jewish Libraries News and Reviews
Chair, Jewish Information Committee, EMIERT/ALA
sstie...@lilrc.org | 631-675-1570 x2005
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