I remember the first time we dropped Niles off at daycare. That first year we hadn't spent more than 2 hours or so apart because he was greedy 😂 , refused a bottle, and nursed every 90 minutes around the clock.

Mrs. Harper in Brooklyn couldn't have been kinder, more experienced or reassuring and yet I was, and I think most parents can relate, afraid.

This is my baby. My heart, living outside my body. I don't know you. People can be manipulative and unhinged.

"He's going to be fine and so will you," I reassured myself. She's only a 20 minute walk away and it's only for a few hours. If even a hair on his George Foreman hairline looks out of place, I can take her down.

I can be unhinged too.

Tami and I cried after dropping him off. And when we picked him up, he flew into our arms. The sparkle in his eyes still glowing. Ms. Harper loved and took excellent care of him.

We cried again on the last day when he was in her care because we were moving to Atlanta.

Friday, when my publisher sent the live link to my book, this familiar fear rose to the surface.

As excited as I am to share this offering with you, I had take some time to move through the anxiety.

"What if no one buys it?"

That's ridiculous. You at least have a sale from your mother.

"What if they don't like it?"

But I do, so that's what matters.

"What if it feels like every other herb book?"

You wrote the book you needed. You answered questions you couldn’t find addressed in other herbalism books. That alone makes it unique.

What began on March 25, 2025 as an email exchange, has finally culminated in a childhood dream fulfilled.

The Confident Family Herbalist: A Step By Step Guide to Herbs, Remedies and Everyday Care is here.

This book is also my baby, and to borrow from Erykah Badu, "I'm an artist and I'm sensitive about my sh*t!"

Pre-sales are live and you can receive 20% off and free shipping directly from the publisher's website. Code: CFH20.

US website: https://health.aeonbooks.com/product/confident-family-herbalist/95438

UK website: https://health.aeonbooks.co.uk/product/confident-family-herbalist/95438

(The US website allows free shipping direct from the US distributor. The rest of the world should use the UK website.)

Over the years, you all have shown our family and our work incredible support, encouragement and love.

I’m grateful to share this offering with you, and I hope it’s received with the intention that it was written — to be a trusted part of your herbal library, one you reach for when you want clear guidance, practical recipes, and a deeper understanding of how to support yourself and your family with plants.

It will help you save time, reduce overwhelm, make confident and responsible healthcare choices, and build a home herbal practice you can actually rely on in real life.

I know my book baby is in good hands.

With joy,
Selima

P.S. This book is the one I needed when I was first learning to navigate my family’s health.

It’s the book I’ve wished for in those late-night moments when coughs wouldn’t stop, when restlessness kept everyone up, when digestive discomfort lingered, when skin issues flared, when chronic pain made daily life harder, or when I felt like I had to choose between calling the doctor or panicking.

I wrote it for you, for me, and for anyone — whether you’re supporting a child, a partner, an aging parent, or yourself — who wants to feel more grounded, capable, and connected to the healing power of plants in their own home as they care for the full spectrum of health issues that arise across generations.