A stunning emotional journey.
Fate may be a cruel mistress, but she doesn’t always get the last word. As a child, Emma had to endure the tragic loss of her best friend Kate to an indomitable enemy. Vowing then and there to fight the brain cancer that stole Kate from her, Emma has devoted her life to research pursuing an effective treatment. When a pregnancy threatens to interfere with her potentially groundbreaking research, tough choices are made. Torn between her own promise to Kate, her mentor who keeps pushing her, and a family that needs their mother, Emma struggles to juggle these critical elements. Eventually, something has to give, but her decisions may have deeper consequences than she could imagine.
Barbara Conrey displays a keen wit and strong powers of observation in this emotional and honest story about one woman’s lifelong battle with guilt and grief. Emma struggles to be the brave person she remembers her childhood friend having been, but the toll it takes is great. The depth of feeling conveyed through Emma’s eyes is poignant and raw. Nowhere Near Goodbye has its fair share of plot twists, although they are largely predictable. But the real winner in this book is the complex blend of characters and their evolution. Emma makes a lot of mistakes, but her humanity shines through in her shortcomings, culminating in a compelling ending to an engrossing story. Truly a path paved in heartache, Nowhere Near Goodbye is a stunning emotional journey penned by an author who writes with heart and hope.
