Queenie Is Working on It: Family, Found and Chosen

Candice Carty-Williams returns with Queenie Is Working on It, the long-awaited sequel to her international bestselling debut. Released in July 2026, this novel finds Queenie Jenkins older, more self-aware, and still grappling with life's biggest questions — now with a deeper understanding of the power of community, friends, and family to carry us through.

The Found Family Dividend

Carty-Williams identifies the "community premium" — the irreplaceable value of the people who show up when systems fail. In a 2026 world where families are more fragmented than ever, Queenie Is Working on It is a masterclass in building and maintaining the found families that sustain us. The novel reminds readers that parenting, in its broadest sense, is not confined to biology — it is the work of showing up, over and over, for the people who need you.

Lessons for Modern Families:

• Community as Infrastructure: Building networks of care that survive personal and economic volatility.
• Intergenerational Healing: The slow, patient work of breaking cycles and building new patterns.
• Radical Belonging: Creating spaces where every member of the family — biological or chosen — is fully seen.

The ChildCost Verdict

Queenie Is Working on It is a funny, sharp, and deeply moving novel about the families we inherit and the ones we build. Carty-Williams proves that the ultimate ROI of community is a life fully lived.