"Everything Left to Remember" follows author Steph Jagger's inward voyage as she navigates her mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis. 

To navigate life’s major transitions, author Steph Jagger turns to nature and mythology.

In her debut novel, “Unbound,” published in 2017, Jagger chronicled a year-long ski trip that culminated in unofficially breaking a world record. Her recent sophomore novel, “Everything Left to Remember,” follows an inward voyage, diving into a mother-daughter relationship wrought by Alzheimer’s through a road trip across the American West.

On Tuesday, Jagger hosts a workshop at Roundabout Books in Bend, inviting others to navigate life’s modern-day challenges through the ancient lens of initiation and archetype.

Jagger describes “Unbound” as the archetypal Maiden initiation. The book follows her journey across five continents as she challenges herself to ski more than 4 million vertical feet in one year. At this point in her life, Jagger is focused on the external world. This initiation involves separating herself from the ways she grew up and carving out her own identity.

With the publication of her second book, Jagger once again harnesses the healing power of nature to navigate her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Jagger and her mother embark on an adventure of horseback riding, hiking and camping, which leads Jagger through the archetypal Mother initiation. At this stage, instead of asking herself who she is and what her place is in the world, she dives deeper.

“What is going to be created through me?” Jagger asks herself.

Jagger melds cognition with emotions and the senses to arrive at a deeper sense of belonging. When it comes to connecting with her mother, who is living with late-stage Alzheimer’s, she has no choice.

“My ability to connect with her now has nothing to do with my thinking brain and everything to do with the animal body,” Jagger said.

A squeeze of the hand. Fleeting eye contact. Jagger connects to her mother through what she describes as “deep remembrance,” using the totality of her human experience.

What level of connection might be attainable if everyone gently set aside logic and opened themselves up to experiencing the same feeling as one another, Jagger said.

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“How much more unifying and what a deeper sense of connection and belonging that would be,” said continued.

She extends an invitation to explore these questions at her upcoming event, “Finding Our Worth at Every Stage of Life: an evening with Steph Jagger,” presented by AdventurUs Women and Roundabout Books.

Jagger also welcomes connections through her website at stephjagger.com, on Instagram @stephjagger or directly in her inbox at steph@stephjagger.com.

What: Finding Our Worth at Every Stage of Life: an evening with Steph Jagger 

When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Drive #110, Bend

Cost: $5

Contact: roundaboutbookshop.com

“My ability to connect with her now has nothing to do with my thinking brain and everything to do with the animal body.”