Mara Conley is returning to her small hometown in the midwest after eight years. She is no longer the chubby, acne faced teenager that had run away the night of her graduation. She has a new positive image, career, and she would like to find some answers. Discovering she has a genetic disease that can only be transmitted by family genetics, she goes back to Illinois. She searches for her best friend, wants to reconcile with her parents, find answers to the questions she has burning inside her of why she was treated so coldly as a child. Follow her journey back to her previous life, to look for answers. Subplot involving best friends husband and hostage situation. See how she handles the strain of being back home and yet being a different person. Reconciliation is accomplished, she understands more of who she is and how she relates to those around her.

No sex, no bloody violence, nothing I would not want my granddaughter to someday read. Hints of spirituality, but not preachy. First book of a planned trilogy. Second book, tentative title "Marisol" which means water and sun.

If you need more information or can help me in anyway, please e-mail or private message me.
Chatty, Pam? Can you help me in anyway?

Thanks to all,
Sherri

I don't want this post to get lost. I need some guidance and I'm looking for my boomer friends to give it to me.

Sherri, what kind of guidance are you looking for? What are your specific questions? It sounds like Women's Fiction.. or Mainstream Fiction.

My husband thinks if it's listed as womens fiction, it will be disregarded by men and he thinks it's a book that men would enjoy too. I don't want to classify it as Chick LIt, cause that isn't what it is. It's more of a spiritual journey, coming of age, healing novel.

Any help?

THanks for responding Vicki

Sherri

What about Genre Fiction: Family Saga, and/or Contemporary? I just looked at Amazon and books like "Brick Lane", "Swinging Bridge", "Secret Life of Bees" and "Kite Runner" are all in either the contemporary fiction or family saga genre or both...this book sounds like it might fit in both, without scaring away the male readers.

Hmm, most guys don't read women's issues. Do they? I think women's fiction too.

Inspirational Contemporary Fiction?

Sherri I've read Bitter Water and I think it's definitely womens fiction.

Thanks Pam, I appreciate the input.

Why the need to label the book? Is this a marketing thing? why not let the readers decide?

boys won't read stories written by women
(that's whey authors like J.K. Rowling use intitals in their names) - i guess it continues into their adult years for some men - if they read at all

...don't mind me, I'm just a humble librarian...