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Every Last Cuckoo

Kate Maloy

3.49 · Rating details · 1,473 ratings · 338 reviews

Sarah Lucas imagined the rest of her days would be spent living peacefully in her rural Vermont home in the steadfast company of her husband. But now, with Charles's sudden passing, seventy-five-year-old Sarah is left inconsolably alone.

As grief settles in, Sarah's mind lingers on her past: her imperfect but devoted fifty-year marriage to Charles; the years they spent rai ...more

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Paperback, 304 pages

Published May 12th 2009 by Algonquin Books (first published January 22nd 2008)

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Mar 21, 2016 Carol added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Fiction debut, not perfect, but with potential

The Hook 2016 Reading Plan – bookWomen, Vol.16, No.2, Dec.2011-Jan.2012 Pg.4, Recommendation of Josephine Schiff.
The appeal was the promise of woman in her seventies finding a new life after the death of her husband.

The Line ”Her memories were beads jumbled loose in a box, unstrung.” pg.6

The Sinker – Every Last Cuckoo won the American Library Association Reading List Award for Best Adult Genre (Women’s) Fiction.

Seventy-five year old Sarah Lucas, fin ...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Lize rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

Pulled this one off the shelf at home as a palate-cleanser after "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and it did nicely as such (in that it had no torture scenes). How refreshing/fascinating/unusual to have a 75 year-old female protagonist--and how sad that this is remarkable. It's about Sarah, who fills her Vermont farmhouse home with a variety of boarders after the death of her beloved husband, Charles, because she has fond memories of her parents doing the same thing during the Great Depression. The ...more

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Dec 11, 2009 Yolanda rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Yolanda by: Relyn

Shelves: read-in-2010

I loved this book.Thanks so much Relyn for recommending it.
This book drew me in for the start and kept me interested. It really spoke to my heart at where I am in my life right now.
I think that I very closely identified with Sarah the main character in that I am finally at 46 comfortable in my own skin and at a point where I am not obcessed with being wealthy,keeping up with the Jones or having the perfect house. I am content to just enjoy life and each day that comes.

I think that this books spe ...more

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Jan 12, 2008 Justin rated it liked it · review of another edition

In an American fictional tradition that rarely addresses the elderly on any significant level, Oregon writer Kate Maloy's debut novel stands out with a 75-year-old woman as its centerpiece.

In Every Last Cuckoo, Sarah Lucas lives a peaceful, pleasant life with her naturalist husband Charles in rural Vermont. They spend their twilight years puttering around the surrounding woods and eating meals with family and friends. In these opening chapters, Maloy skillfully layers details of the couple's hi In an American fictional tradition that rarely addresses the elderly on any significant level, Oregon writer Kate Maloy's debut novel stands out with a 75-year-old woman as its centerpiece.

In Every Last Cuckoo, Sarah Lucas lives a peaceful, pleasant life with her naturalist husband Charles in rural Vermont. They spend their twilight years puttering around the surrounding woods and eating meals with family and friends. In these opening chapters, Maloy skillfully layers details of the couple's history and social sphere. We learn about their son David's tumultuous past and glean the ups and downs of their decades-long marriage. Maloy does a marvelous job depicting the kind of tender, steady domestic partnership that is the reward of a lifetime of shared experiences, both good and bad. When Sarah and Charles are alone, she writes in typically spare and unassuming prose, “The silence between them was as familiar as their faces, their bodies, and the synchronized rhythm of their days.”

When Charles' unexpected death arrives halfway through we are appropriately surprised. Like Sarah herself, we can't imagine her life without him. The second half of Cuckoo observes as she tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered existence, first by allowing her granddaughter and two of her friends to move into her house for the summer. Here, Maloy’s book begins to falter a bit, as the notion of packing three high-school students into a senior widow’s residence seems ludicrous. Fortunately for Sarah, these teenagers wind up being the perfect houseguests, doing chores at every opportunity. For the reader, however, their angelic vitality and curious void of adolescent surliness feels implausible.

Maloy brings other characters to live with Sarah as well. An Israeli professor named Mordecai comes to live in her cabin, teaching her meditation in the process. A young mother whose own husband is dying arrives with her four-year-old son in tow; she fills Sarah's garden with luscious vegetables and cooks the household delicious food. We are meant to see Sarah finding new purpose in the harboring of these colorful characters, but as each new resident proves to be more agreeable than the last, the dramatic tension dribbles out of Cuckoo like a balloon leaking air. I wanted to see Sarah struggling more with her husband's death, to have a more difficult adjustment period to the odd assortment of strangers suddenly filling her house, and to reflect more deeply on her own fears regarding death and aging. Yet despite its rather lethargic finish, Every Last Cuckoo is mostly a riveting read. Its tenderly wrought portrayal of elderly life has an unexpectedly powerful effect, revealing fictional possibilities we'd either forgotten about or never considered at all.
...more

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Sep 17, 2009 Cheryl rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-edition, kindle-lendable

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Jun 23, 2010 Chocolate & Croissants rated it really liked it · review of another edition

As I sit here to write my review about Every Last Cuckoo, I have one question. How did this book manage to sit on my shelf for so long? Look at how gorgeous the cover is. Based on the cover alone, I should have pulled it off my shelf months ago. It probably sat on my shelf for about 7 months. Which I suppose is not that long. I own books that have been sitting for years unmoved. Unbelievable I know.

When you look at the cover what does it say to you. Home, comfort, a little eclectic. It almost re
As I sit here to write my review about Every Last Cuckoo, I have one question. How did this book manage to sit on my shelf for so long? Look at how gorgeous the cover is. Based on the cover alone, I should have pulled it off my shelf months ago. It probably sat on my shelf for about 7 months. Which I suppose is not that long. I own books that have been sitting for years unmoved. Unbelievable I know.

When you look at the cover what does it say to you. Home, comfort, a little eclectic. It almost reminds me of walking into an Anthropologie store. Not neat and organized like Crate and Barrel but fun and whimsical.

I read Every Last Cuckoo in May and really wanted to post my review for Mother's Day. The story line is beautiful. From the beginning of the book I was pulled into Sarah's life. This is not a story about mother's and the relationship they share with their daughters. It is a story about Sarah a widowed seventy-five year old grandmother, her life and her family. I loved the family scenes that were described in the book. Perhaps because author Malloy describes the family scenes that I have always wanted to be part of it, but never will. A large family gathered around the table. Evenings spent sitting around the fireplace with relatives and friends coming and going.

What I truly enjoyed about Maloy's writing and her book, is her ability to describe the characters and the scenes both so that I could envision them and I wanted to be part of the scene. Sarah lives on a plot of land adjacent to a forest in Vermont. A large part of the book, occurs during the Vermont winter. I have no desire to visit Vermont in the winter, I grew up in the snow. Maloy's writing about the walks Sarah and Charles her late husband took through the snow had me wishing I was outside trudging along in the snow.

"At last a late January thaw broke the hold of the bitterest winter. The temperature climbed almost sixty degrees on that first morning, from twenty-five below overnight to freezing by noon. Thirty felt tropical, and Charles went out hatless in the sun, grinning at Sarah as if the two of them had not spent those past weeks as edgy as two knives in a drawer. The dogs followed as Charles set off on a short walk into the woods. They leapt and ran in the the sun and grinner like Charles, like Sarah as she answered his eagerness with her own".

While the sun is high in the sky until the late evening hours, grab yourself a cup of tea, stretch out on a lawn chair and make yourself cozy to truly enjoy this book. ...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Alyssa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I picked this book up from off the shelf because of the colorful cover (yes, I judge that way) and because it was one of NPR's featured books in their "Chapter a Day" series.

From the first page I enjoyed Maloy's style of writing, and I loved Sarah, the main character. It was refreshing to read a story that came from the point of view of a 70-something woman...one who was going through a major shift in her life. The love between Sarah & Charles, the larger family dynamics, and the beautiful a ...more

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Jul 20, 2010 Marvin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What a wonderful novel! There should be more novels about older people. I've read some good ones. (This one reminds me of Wallace Stegner's wonderful Crossing to Safety, with its focus on the strong relationship of an elderly couple.) Here, we're told the story of one year in the life of a 75-year-old woman who lives in rural Vermont--an amazing character--and her relationships with family & friends. She learns (or relearns) that to love is to live with loss, but chooses to love anyway (whic ...more

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Mar 13, 2009 Bobi rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 09, 2009 Gloria rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was one of the more beautiful books I've read in quite awhile.

Sarah, an elderly woman who's just lost her husband, is keenly feeling her age and what she perceives as being "useless" now. But life throws at her an abundance of those who suddenly "need" her in different ways.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the fully-developed character of Sarah. And the writing was gorgeous. It didn't trivialize nor romanticize the life of an elderly woman-- rather it showed her as a "whol ...more

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Jun 25, 2009 Relyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: women everywhere

Recommended to Relyn by: Elizabeth Berg

Oh. I liked this book. I really, really liked this book. I marked it five stars, but you know how picky I try to be with my five stars. This one is a four and a half star by my record keeping. Anyway.

I read about this book on Elizabeth Berg's blog. She discovered it and really enjoyed it. Me, too. It took my breath away, actually. Jeffrey asked me what it was about and I had a hard time answering. I finally said something like this: It's about a long, long marriage. About widowhood. About life ...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Pauline Tilbe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I didn't know what to expect but the title intrigued me and the blurb sounded like something I'd like. Plus I loved the cover. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, the setting in Vermont and the descriptions made me feel like I was right there with them in the story. Sarah reveals her present and little bits of her past through the this story. Her ups and downs. I love how she came to acknowledge her faults and even how she resolved differences.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm so ...more

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May 02, 2012 Marnie Kaplan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I loved this book. It inspired me, made me realize it’s never too late to try new things, to discover a new part of yourself, to set out to create a larger family. Who would have thought a book about a 75 year old widow would be so engaging, informative and compelling? I guess the truth is we don't have to read about people who are like us. We learn the most from stepping inside the mindset of those who are different from us.

Seventy-five year old Sarah Lucas is in mourning over the love of her l I loved this book. It inspired me, made me realize it’s never too late to try new things, to discover a new part of yourself, to set out to create a larger family. Who would have thought a book about a 75 year old widow would be so engaging, informative and compelling? I guess the truth is we don't have to read about people who are like us. We learn the most from stepping inside the mindset of those who are different from us.

Seventy-five year old Sarah Lucas is in mourning over the love of her life, her husband Charles. They lived a wonderful life together and Sarah suddenly faces each new day with dread, as she is without the biggest constant in her life. Now, as I reconsider this novel, I think of the 80 year old Jewish grandmother of a friend I met this summer. She talked repeatedly of her beloved husband, who died a number of years ago, a chemist, "but brilliant, he could have been a lawyer." This woman was smart enough to go to college but girls didn't go to college then (unless they had wealthy parents), and she still regrets this fact. She didn't work and it is obvious that she always defined herself in terms of her wonderful husband. I suppose similar things could be said of Sarah, whose husband was a beloved doctor.

Sarah, is suddenly able to find a new version of herself, defined only by her actions. Her memories take her back to the Great Depression when her parents opened their house to various relatives in need. The married wife of a doctor never imagined doing something similar but the widow who replaces her soon packs her house full. With her teenage granddaughter, fighting for independence from the mother who doesn't understand her, two of her teenage friends -one whose mother seems happy to lose a mouth to feed, an Israeli pacifist professor writing a book in Sarah's cabin, and a young mother and child whose husband and father (and breadwinner) lies in the hospital burned from the electrical fire that ruined their small trailer. In Sarah's house a new family forms, and Sarah discovers her inner artist. Young, old and middle-aged mingle in the house finding ways to help each other overcome a series of hardships. Movie nights are created, a sullen teenager crafts stories for the young fatherless boy. Sarah and the Israeli widower ruminate on loss and violence, meditation and personal peace.
I loved the characters. They were real, and their problems were universal. Maybe communal living is the way to go. This book made me a ready believer. It also made me realize that one is never to old to try something new, to discover a new passion, savor a new hobby, embrace a new family. So many uplifting messages are layered in this beautifully crafted story. What more could one ask for in a reading selection for a long bus ride? ...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Lezlee Hays rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I can't figure out if I just wasn't in the mood for this type of book or if it just seriously annoyed the heck out of me because it was written in such a way as to seriously annoy the heck out of me. First off, I was just bored nearly to tears until about 150 pages into the book - and I'm willing to wade through that if there's going to be some kind of pay off. But for me - there just never really was. Every time I thought I figured out where there was going to be an interesting plot line...ther ...more

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Apr 15, 2008 Jen rated it liked it · review of another edition

I've always loved the "and they lived happily ever after", but after having children of my own I started to look for something a little bit more. Thgere is so much of life left after the start of the "happily ever after". This book main charachter is 75 and I enjoyed her story. The prose was excellent and thought provoking, there were many passages throughout the book that were poignant in their simplicity and beautifully written. There were also passages I could have lived without, do I really ...more

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Jun 06, 2009 drowningmermaid rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Book club book. Other women liked it, but I thought the dialog was stilted and the characterization flat. Also, some of the language didn't work for me at all. (Spewing water "through the dam of her teeth" made me do a double-take.)

Overall, had a very Hallmark-movie-of-the-week feel to it, where nice people do nice things in a nice way. It's sort of like what I imagine the Mitford series is, only for non-religious people. Old people smoking pot and solving every problem through (unbelievable) di ...more

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Oct 11, 2016 Deborah Klein rated it it was ok · review of another edition

The theme is an important one - the life and marriage of an elderly couple, and how one goes on w/o the other. But the story is ridiculous. All wounds are healed, all broken relationships are mended, a group of disparate people live together in magical harmony, everyone is wise. In addition, the vistas are beautiful, the homes are gorgeous, warm and welcoming, the food delicious etc. Beyond the theme, it is a tea party of a book. I would have welcomed a book dealing wth the real issues of an eld ...more

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May 29, 2017 Jemathomp rated it really liked it · review of another edition

At 72 it was nice to read a book where the main character was closer to my age. It deals with the reality of loss and the ability to carry on with the support of family and friends. It is a multigenerational story--no lives are perfect--everyone has their own baggage. I would have liked to know more about Angelo. A great first novel.

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Mar 21, 2017 Kat Walter rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Flat and lifeless...unlike the beautiful, inviting and colorful cover. Characters never came alive for me.

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Apr 25, 2008 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Life's too short not to embrace it. Why does it often take tragic situations to truly feel this way?

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Oct 21, 2017 Sarah rated it did not like it · review of another edition

DNF

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Mar 15, 2018 The Lexington Bookie rated it it was amazing

I happened to pick up this book up out of a stack in a local Peddlar’s Mall for one dollar. The cover looked interesting, and it had the American Library Association’s Best Adult Genre Fiction seal of approval on the front. I flipped it over to the description on the back, and was surprised to note that the setting takes place in little ol’ Vermont, my home state. Moments like that- browsing for nothing in particular, casually exploring my relatively new surroundings, and still managing to find I happened to pick up this book up out of a stack in a local Peddlar’s Mall for one dollar. The cover looked interesting, and it had the American Library Association’s Best Adult Genre Fiction seal of approval on the front. I flipped it over to the description on the back, and was surprised to note that the setting takes place in little ol’ Vermont, my home state. Moments like that- browsing for nothing in particular, casually exploring my relatively new surroundings, and still managing to find something that brings me back to my roots- never cease to amaze me. At the risk of sounding traitorous to my new state, Vermont will always be home, no matter what my address is. Therefore, this book was going to go be mine- and I almost felt like it was meant to be.

In Every Last Cuckoo, we are introduced to main character Sarah, a seventy-five year old woman who was living with her eighty year old husband, Charles. He was a doctor, a man who wanted to help people and his community, and earn an honest living. She was a modern housewife, who enjoyed intellectual conversations with her strong, whip-smart friends and husband. It was a steady and happy marriage, though there were plenty of obstacles to overcome: the loss of a child and depression that followed; the growing pains of raising three children; the struggles with intimacy as they aged. After decades of time spent together, Sarah is reminiscent of their relatively simple and routine lives, especially as their family and friends come together over the winter holidays. But then tragedy happens- Charles is hurt in a hiking accident, and Sarah becomes a widow. She finds herself wondering how she can possibly live her normal life without Charles in it, especially when all their memories flood to the forefront of her mind.

Slowly, Sarah starts to find peace with her sudden loss, and is determined to live the rest of her life in a way that would have made Charles and her young, ambitious self proud. She takes nature walks with Charles’ Nikon, trying to see through his eyes, and works in her garden as she contemplates her past and present. She is asked by her daughter to take in a boarder who would live in their little ‘vacation’ cabin in the back of their property, to which she agrees. Then, she takes in her teenage granddaughter, Lottie, who is having troubles with her overbearing mother. After some time, Lottie asks if a few of her friends can also move in to help settle their problems at home, and Sarah agrees. Then, a family in need also moves in. Soon, she realizes that this was what she was meant to do with the rest of her life- take care of others. With her house full, Sarah realizes that she is feeling stronger and more fulfilled- and more like the person she’s always wanted to be. In turn, her boarders become a blended family that care for her, help her make amends in wounded relationships, and heal her broken heart.

I personally don’t think I’m doing this novel justice in my summary, although I tried to, because it’s so much more complex than I can describe. Maloy has woven the story lines together so beautifully, and allowed all these tiny but pure details to bubble to the surface at the most exact and perfect time. Sarah is such a dynamic character, and she actually reminds me a lot of my spunky Grandma Rain! I also loved the setting, it’s spot on the Vermont I know and love. Overall, it’s honest, touching, and clever. I highly recommend Every Last Cuckoo. I actually think I’m going to try and find another copy to give to my grandma, and the copy I have is going right back on my bookshelf. ...more

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Feb 24, 2019 Phyllis rated it it was ok

Shelves: own-it, women-s-fiction

I was disappointed in this book. I've been thinking about it for several days after finishing it, not sure how to describe my feelings. What I did like was the setting and the descriptions of rural Vermont. The author skillfully recreates the sights and seasons, the scents, sounds, and details of the landscape, the flora and fauna. Another plus was the author's ability to describe a long-time marriage and healthy relationship of a couple in their 70's/80's. But the book's focus on aging,death, a ...more

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Feb 07, 2018 Erik Volk rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed this novel which with seriousness and humor addresses the uncomfortable reality of adult children dealing with elderly parents. Dealing with a parent with Alzheimer's myself, I could relate to the characters in a personal way. I did like that neither the parents or children were presented as perfect people and dealt with life and their situations in the best way they were capable of. Also, having in a long-term marriage, it made me contemplate how I would deal with the inevitable possi ...more

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Nov 14, 2017 Mara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: family, fiction, arc

This is a book much stronger on character and description than on plot. The plot falls down in several places, including Sarah's too-short mourning period and the gratuitous discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the author's power of description and ability to bring the reader into the scene are tremendous. For readers looking for a tightly woven plot, I wouldn't recommend this book. But for readers looking for scenes that will draw them in and make them feel like part of the f ...more

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Sep 09, 2018 Wileyacez rated it liked it

Pretty good book. Slanted toward an older reader, which I am. First half of book leads up to Sarah becoming a widow; second half is how she deals with it. I particularly enjoyed Sarah's reconnecting with herself prior to marriage as that was a big part of singleness for me. Also, book didn't have to end with Sarah dying!!! Pet peeves when story of elderly person ending on big sob when they die

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Jan 09, 2019 Karen Hunsucker rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Boring

I chose this rating because there was nothing in the book with anything to draw your interest. Nothing exceptional about the main character's life. Book is too wordy. Lots of descriptions totally unnecessary. Characters too commonplace. Plot was thin and uninteresting. I really dislike books like this. Only read it, because it was chosen for book club.

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Jan 30, 2018 Rhonda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Rhonda by: Elaine Kingston

Shelves: favorites, fiction

WOW, what a great book.
It was recommended and sent to me by a good friend who moved away.
As always, she finds the most amazing books to read that brings out every emotion in your soul.
This one took me three evenings to read while in bed. Big mistake, should not of read it in bed before sleeping. Spent all three night crying and had a stuffed up nose....lol
Bring some tissue!

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Jan 23, 2017 tbears rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3-1/2 stars - The extra 1/2 star earned when the book became more interesting after the husband's death and the cuckoos took nest in Sarah's home. The cuckoos were a great cast of characters of all ages, although there were so many I often got them mixed up. Beautiful scenery and photography descriptions. A good, heartwarming story.

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Jan 30, 2019 Kaydi Johnson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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About Kate Maloy

Kate Maloy

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Kate Maloy is the author of the memoir A Stone Bridge North: Reflections in a New Life. Her work has been published by LiteraryMama.com, VerbSap.com, and the Readerville Journal. She has forthcoming pieces in the Kenyon Review and two anthologies: For Keeps and Choice. She lives with her husband on the central coast of Oregon.