First published 2005
Julieanne writes a weekly advice column for her Wisconsin newspaper, dispensing wisdom to strangers every Sunday. Her own marriage to Leo has lasted twenty years, sustained by her creative efforts to keep their relationship vibrant. Then Leo announces he needs a sabbatical from their shared life, abandoning Julie and their three children: Gabe, Caroline, and Aury. What begins as a temporary break becomes a permanent departure. Julie struggles with the confusion and sorrow that follow, trying to hold her fractured family together. Her situation worsens when doctors deliver a serious medical diagnosis. Desperate to reunite their parents, the children embark on a risky quest to locate their missing father. As Julie's health deteriorates and her world tilts toward collapse, the family must find their footing again. With support from Leo's parents and Julie's closest friend Cathy, they begin rebuilding their understanding of what family means.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, second-chance
Setting: Wisconsin
Period: 20th-century
416 pages · ebook · HarperCollins Publishers