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Some betrayals are like rivers, so deep, so wide, they can’t be crossed. But—for those with enough courage—forgiveness, redemption and love may be found on the other side.
On the night her home is consumed by fire, Janine Stoddard finally resolves to leave her abusive husband. While she is reluctant to involve her estranged daughter, she can’t resist a chance to see Harmony and baby Lottie in Asheville, North Carolina, before she disappears forever.
Harmony’s friend Taylor Martin realizes how much the reunited mother and daughter yearn to stay together, and she sees in Jan a chance to continue her own mother’s legacy of helping women in need of a fresh start. She opens her home, even as she’s opening her heart to another newcomer, Adam Pryor. But enigmatic Adam has a secret that could destroy Taylor’s trust…and cost Jan her hard-won freedom.
Praise for the first of the Goddesses Anonymous novels
by Emilie Richards
“Richards creates a heart-wrenching atmosphere that slowly builds
to the final pages, and continues to echo after the book is finished.”
—Publishers Weekly on One Mountain Away
“Complex characters, compelling emotions and the healing power of forgiveness—what could be better? I loved One Mountain Away!”
—New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods
“Emilie Richards’s compassion and deep understanding of
family relationships, especially those among women, are the soul of
One Mountain Away. This rich, multilayered story of love and bitterness, humor, loss and redemption haunts me as few other books have.”
—New York Times bestselling author Sandra Dallas
“When I first began reading One Mountain Away, I wondered where the story was going. A few pages later, I knew precisely where this story was going—straight to my heart. Words that come to my mind are wow, fabulous and beautiful. Definitely a must-read. If any book
I’ve ever read deserves to be made into a film, One Mountain Away is it! Kudos to Emilie Richards.”
—New York Times bestselling author Catherine Anderson
“Emilie Richards is at the top of her game in this richly rewarding tale of love and family and the ties that bind us all. One Mountain Away is everything I want in a novel and more. A must-buy!”
—USA TODAY bestselling author Barbara Bretton
“Emilie Richards has written a powerful and thought-provoking novel that will both break your heart and fill you with hope.
Richards’s characters become your friends, and they will stay with you long after you turn the last page. A beautiful book.”
—National bestselling author Diane Chamberlain on One Mountain Away
No River Too Wide
Emilie Richards
How does the author of a series, like Goddesses Anonymous, choose which characters to feature next? If you read One Mountain Away or Somewhere Between Luck and Trust, then you know half a dozen women are introduced who loosely band together to reach out to other women in turmoil. So how did I decide which ones in this ever-widening circle to feature in No River Too Wide?
Have you ever been in a conversation with a friend who tells you the gripping tale of another woman’s life, then stops before the end? On the edge of your seat you ask her to continue, and she tells you sadly that she can’t, because she doesn’t know the ending. You’re riddled with frustration, right? Because you need to know!
If you’ve had that experience, then you understand why I couldn’t introduce Harmony’s mother, Janine, in passing—as I did in One Mountain Away—and not learn more about her. We know Janine’s trapped in a nightmarish marriage. We know that despite this, she did everything she could to give Harmony the start she needed to grow up and finally move far away.
But that smidgen of a story wasn’t enough. Domestic abuse is a difficult subject, but sadly it’s all too real. Over a million women are assaulted by their partners every year, and yes, 85% of domestic violence victims are women. The statistics are grim and worth your exploration, but this book isn’t about statistics. No River Too Wide is a story of triumph, of a woman moving beyond her terrifying circumstances and regaining control of her life.
Women can, especially if they have help.
As I thought about Janine and Harmony, about bad marriages and good ones, I found I needed to explore the way we women choose the men in our lives, and how we learn to make good choices and avoid bad ones.
My story was born.
The River Arts District of Asheville, North Carolina, where Taylor’s fictional health and wellness studio, Evolution, sits above the French Broad River, is real. The week I was in Asheville for research, the river overflowed its banks and seeped into far too many artists’ studios. Despite that rare occurrence, the District is definitely worth a visit. The studios are fascinating, and the personable artists are willing to stop and chat about their work. I hope you’ll find the time to visit someday.
Good reading,
Emilie
To women everywhere who work tirelessly and creatively
to help other women who need them
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