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What the reviewers say
This is Walling’s debut novel, but her writing experience is evident: Chris is a well-developed character who knows how biased and prickly she can be but often can’t help herself . . . A very compelling character study of a woman seeking redemption and love.
Touching love story exploring religion, friendship, and small-town prejudice.
Intimate and complex, the book examines the human need for connection and belonging and the inner turmoil of reconciling these basic needs with the struggle for personal authenticity in a society marked by racism, political polarization, and homophobia.
AFTER THE DEATH OF SALLY, her partner of thirty-five years, Chris Lawler heads west in a small RV to jump start her life. She is smart and adventurous, but also painfully awkward with people after a childhood of rejection. And she wonders if she will ever find love again, knowing that Sally did all the work of nurturing the relationship.
Once an over-achieving media professional, Chris realizes that older women are generally invisible. She wrestles with her beliefs and with connection . . . connection to the motley mix of campers at a Moab, Utah, campground and connection to her evangelical family in the Texas Hill Country. Along the way, she meets two people who patiently help her shed her cynicism and self doubts — and falls in love with one of them.
She wanders from Utah to the Texas Hill Country, where she struggles to reconnect with and be accepted by her judgmental kin. As a volunteer at the local library, she becomes embroiled in a controversy over Texas history and culture that turns violent. Shaken up, she finally resolves to overcome the emotional barriers that have prevented her from loving and being loved.
I live in a robust book-club community. They are my people. I can envision readers discussing the multiple themes of women who are aging, spirituality, racism and interracial relationships, the search for community and love, our divisions, overcoming self-doubt, and the depth of friendship between two older women.
– Lee Ann Walling
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E-book and more purchasing options to come
Inspiration for the novel
The novel mentions sixteen songs. Because of copyright issues, I only used the lyrics for one, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” So I made a rather eclectic playlist that includes every song. The composition below, “Above the Hoodoos,” was composed by me for the book trailer and audiobook; I was channeling Chris, the protagonist.
I went biking by myself in KlonZo, near Moab, in 2017. The experience inspired the chapter in my book titled “KlonZo.”
The hike on the the Navajo Loop/Quuen’s Garden trails at Bryce Canyon provided inspiration for the chapter “Sunrise Point.” You can hear my breathing get heavier and heavier!