by Kate Storey
First published 2024
Sally Harrison marks each July 11th the same way she has for forty-two years. She selects a new book, writes a dedication to her daughter Ella in the front cover, and places it on the shelf. The ritual began when Ella was born, but twenty-two years ago, after a bitter argument, Ella left for Australia and never returned. Sally continues adding books to her collection, though she doubts Ella will ever read them. The shelves hold decades of unread stories and undelivered love letters. When crisis forces Ella back to her childhood home, she discovers the library her mother created. Mother and daughter must navigate the weight of their shared past and the books that chronicle their separation. The pages Sally filled with hope become the bridge between what was lost and what might still be possible.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: estranged-family, second-chance
Setting: Australia
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
405 pages · Library Binding · Thorndike Press Large Print