Rachel McRady is a local Virginia writer, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, and a mom of two. Her debut novel, Sun Seekers, is the November pick for CharlottesvilleFamily’s book club, the Moms Lit Society.
To get you excited to meet Rachel, I spoke to her about family life, childhood dreams, and how a loved one’s struggle with dementia inspired her work.
The Moms Lit Society Book Club
Sun Seekers is our featured read for the November 2026 meeting of the Moms Lit Society! This local book club meets quarterly to celebrate Virginia writers and build community for Charlottesville parents.
Be sure to put our other 2026-2027 dates on your calendar!
What: Moms Lit Society, hosted by CharlottesvilleFamily
When: Tuesday, November 17, 2026 @ 6:30 pm
Where: Starr Hill Brewery at the Dairy Market
Getting to Know Rachel McRady: Author, Journalist & Mom of 2
How much of a novel is based on real life and how much is invented? How can parents manage the struggle of pursuing their own creative dreams without taking time away from their families? And are all of us depending on childcare at the gym for things other than working out?
Rachel’s novel is often humorous and very relatable. But it also tackles heavy themes like dementia, postpartum depression, and the struggles of parenthood. She opened up about her own experiences with these topics and how they’ve influenced her writing.
All about Sun Seekers
RM: Sun Seekers is a heartfelt family drama centered around 6-year-old Gracie Lynn who decides to break her beloved grandfather, John, out of his nursing home. What’s an adventure for Gracie and John is a nightmare for Gracie’s concerned, estranged parents, LeeAnn and Dan. John is in the early stages of dementia and wasn’t a reliable guardian before his diagnosis. LeeAnn and Dan must figure out how to put aside their differences and find Gracie and John before it’s too late.
On achieving childhood dreams
MR: Being a writer has been a dream of mine since before I could fully write myself. I used to dictate stories to my very patient mother, who would type them out on our massive PC in the ‘90s. In a story I wrote called Dinosaurs Galore, my author bio reads, “Rachel has wanted to be an author her whole life.” I was 7 (and a half) at the time.
My parents’ home is cluttered with my first stories. Apparently, writing “books” was a common pastime for me. We recently found filing cabinets full of my old childhood stories.
How her grandfather’s dementia inspired her novel
MR: I started writing Sun Seekers book in 2016. I was living abroad in London at the time and was feeling very isolated from my friends and family. Every day I’d get off of work in the early afternoon and call the only person who was available to chat, my grandfather, John Dozier.
He was living in an assisted living facility in Virginia at the time and eight years into his battle with dementia. After spending the majority of his adult life in Tennessee and losing his wife of 73 years—my grandmother—he was almost entirely alone and deeply depressed. So we spoke on the phone nearly every day.
But one day I had a really tough conversation with him where he said some really nasty things to me, things he never would have said had he not been ill. I got off the phone in tears, frustrated at the dementia that I felt had robbed me of the man I’d known. I missed how I remembered him as a kid, this larger than life man with a big heart and incredible stories.
Suddenly, I had the idea of looking at the disease through the eyes of a small child. That day, I wrote a short story in about one hour that went on to become Sun Seekers.
The challenge of making writing, a day job, and family life fit together
MR: My full-time job is working as an editor and writer for PEOPLE magazine. I start my day at 5 a.m. and get in a workout. Then, my shift at PEOPLE begins at 6 a.m.
I work until 2 p.m. and an hour later, I’m picking up my daughter from the school bus. So I don’t get much downtime to write or work on marketing.
I will occasionally take a weekend and lock myself in an AirBNB if I have something I’m really trying to finish. I also will take my daughter to the gym where they have daycare. Instead of working out, I sit in a chair and try to get as much writing done as possible. I shudder to think what the gym staff think of me.
I’ll also wake up early on the weekends to fit in some time to write as needed. Time away from my kids tends to be a big mental struggle for me. So if I’m able to do it in a way that I don’t feel impacts them greatly, that’s always my preference. But it’s definitely gotten a lot more complicated to write since having children. However, I’ve managed to write three additional novels in the seven years since I welcomed my first daughter.
The impact of becoming a parent
MR: The biggest change in my life since I wrote the first draft of Sun Seekers has been becoming a mother. I wrote the first draft of this novel before I had kids. One of the [point-of-view characters] is Gracie’s jaded single mother, LeeAnn. She struggled with postpartum depression and has ongoing mental health roadblocks.
In the early drafts, I kept the references kind of vague. But then I had my children and struggled with my own postpartum mental health. I was able to go back and tackle those topics more head-on. Becoming a parent has really opened up my mindset as a writer. It helped me to relate to more people and situations than ever before.
Ready to Meet Rachel?
Join us at the November meeting of the Moms Lit Society! This local book club meets quarterly to read books by Virginia writers and build community for Charlottesville parents. All are welcome!
What: Moms Lit Society, hosted by CharlottesvilleFamily
When: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026 • 6:30 pm
Where: Starr Hill Brewery at the Dairy Market (parking is free in the lot)
Where Can I Get a Copy of the Moms Lit Society Book Club Books?
You can find Sun Seekers anywhere books are sold, including local bookstores like Bluebird & Co. Or, pick up a copy at your local JMRL branch.
You can also purchase a copy at book club! Booksellers from Bluebird & Co. will be on hand with copies of Sun Seekers, as well as the other 2026-2027 book club selections.
We can’t wait to see you there!
About Virginia Writer Rachel McRady
RACHEL MCRADY is a Virginia author and Emmy Award-winning journalist. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, E! News, Us Weekly, Time magazine, The Washington Post, and more. She is the author of the award-winning novel, Sun Seekers. She lives in Richmond with her husband Caleb, their two daughters Iona and Isla, and their other two daughters, rescue pups Skye and Olive. You can learn more on her website, rachelmcrady.com.
Find out more about the Moms Lit Society book club, including upcoming selections and previous reads. And mark your calendar for other bookish events around Charlottesville, including the Virginia Festival of the Book and the Crozet Book Fest!
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KATHARINE SCHELLMAN is an award-winning Charlottesville writer, parent to two busy kids, and proud owner of far too many books. You can find her on Instagram as @katharinewrites.