From the author of Happiness for Beginners comes the instant New York Times bestseller (May 2018), an unforgettable love story about finding joy even in the darkest of circumstances. Margaret Jacobsen is just about to step into the bright future she’s worked for so hard and so long: a new dream job, a fiancé she adores, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, … around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in a brief, tumultuous moment.
In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Maggie must confront the unthinkable. First there is her fiancé, Chip, who wallows in self-pity while simultaneously expecting to be forgiven. Then, there’s her sister Kit, who shows up after pulling a three-year vanishing act. Finally, there’s Ian, her physical therapist, the one the nurses said was too tough for her. Ian, who won’t let her give in to her pity, and who sees her like no one has seen her before. Sometimes the last thing you want is the one thing you need. Sometimes we all need someone to catch us when we fall. And sometimes love can find us in the least likely place we would ever expect.
How to Walk Away is Katherine Center at her very best—a masterpiece of a novel that is both hopeful and hilarious; truthful and wise; tender and brave.
Praise for How to Walk Away:
“A heartbreak of a novel that celebrates resilience and strength.” —Jill Santopolo, bestselling author of The Light We Lost
“If you just read one book this year, read How to Walk Away.” —Nina George, New York Times bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop
“Warm, witty, and wonderfully observed.” —Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of First Comes Love
“Sympathetic and refreshing!” —Elinor Lipman, bestselling author of The Family Man
“I can’t think of a blurb good enough for this novel…poignant, funny, heartbreaking.” —Jenny Lawson, bestselling author of Furiously Happy
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Although How to Walk Away is fiction, the moral of the story is very real:
“…you have to live the life you have. You have to find inspiration in the struggle, and pull joy out of the hardship.”
In my opinion, this story reads as if it were a nonfiction memoir. I actually paused to research Katherine Center and her tragic accident only to find that this was fiction. This was my first Katherine Center novel so I hadn’t a clue. Ms. Center certainly did her homework though, and according to her acknowledgements, she researched multiple elements of this story by spending time with people who have firsthand experience (even with eating an entire blob of wasabi apparently). In my opinion, Ms. Center took a huge risk writing from the POV of a character struggling so deeply with something she has never physically experienced, while many people may be currently in the midst of it thinking “easier said than done, lady”, but I think it paid off. Like I said, it felt like a real-life account and I found the overall theme incredibly inspirational and easily transferable to many of life’s hardships.
With plenty of humor, perspective, inspiration, and a touch of drama and romance, How to Walk Away has earned its rapidly rising attention in my opinion. Check it out!
Katherine Center is a new-to-me author, but I am very happy to have discovered her! In her novel, To Walk Away, we get a story of hope, family, love, and strength.
Margaret Jacobson has it all. Life could not be better! She has an amazing boyfriend and the perfect job. She expects to get engaged soon and begin her happily-ever-after. But as we all know, things can change from one moment to the next when we least expect it. Now everything’s changed. Can life ever be what Margaret wanted and hoped for again?
There is so much I want to say about this book, but it is really one you have to read and experience. What I can say it had amazing characters, a story that kept me engaged from beginning to end. This book was a journey of self-discovery, finding strength and hope again. I am so happy to have found a new-to-me author and one I will continue to read in the future!
Happy reading!
This book is fantastic! It is witty, heartbreaking, and so charming I could not put it down. How does one have the best thing and the worst thing happen to them on the same day? That is what Margaret Jacobsen wonders as she wakes up in a hospital after what she thought would be the best night of her life. It was and it wasn’t. Unsure of what her future holds, she is resilient, tougher than she thinks she is, and just an overall warm and loving woman. I loved her and cheered her on. I feel I can’t say too much about the book as I don’t want any spoilers for other readers. I just have to say that the writing was so very well done. It touched my heart and had me laughing and crying. This one is definitely going on my Favorites List for 2018. It’s just a wonderful, wonderful book and one I will be recommending to everyone.
I received an advance reader’s copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
How To Walk Away is the first book that I’ve read by this author and it won’t be the last. What started out as a romantic proposal in a small plane flown by her fiance Chip, didn’t end the way Margaret envisioned. As Margaret recovers in the hospital from the accident she faces a new normal. This book is about hope, faith, strength, laughter and love. It’s about learning to walk away. It’s a book you won’t want to put down. I can’t recommend it highly enough!
How to Walk Away: A Novel by Katherine Center
Story starts out with Margaret and she’s excited about her date with Chip.
Things are going really well for her-a new job prospect and she thinks he’s going to pop the question on the date.
The day starts out well, even the date til they arrive at the airplane hanger=he’s a pilot, just gotten his hours in and he wants to share it all with her.
She’s skeptical and terrified of going in the pane but she goes anyways and things don’t all go according to plan. He takes her near the beach where he’s done some prior work down there and then head back and is told a surprise is in the glove box-the family ring-for her!
Problem is bad weather plays a bad trick on them. The story follows what happens after the accident and how she struggles everyday to do everything. She’s got a determined PT and she does succeed. She is also brought back in touch with her sister Kitty and she even comes to visit and she learns so many secrets from the past.
Troubling times are still arising from others around her circle and she’s taken on a vacation to the cabin and Ian the PT comes to her resuce and things get out of hand.
She has a solution but he heads back to Europe without her. Kit has a plan and the girls and their mom head overseas to the wedding of Chip. She remembers him visitng her at the hosptial…
Loved reading this story, all the medical terms made easy for us to understand and it all falls into place. Twists and turns along the way and a lot of surprises.
Love the locations and so descriptive details. Didn’t see this ending, very surprising! Would like to read other works by this new author to me.
Received this review copy via St. Martins Press via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#HowToWalkAway #NetGalley
I am a sucker for romance. Especially romance that overcomes tragic circumstances. So this charming and inspiring little novel was right up my alley. It might have also had something to do with the fact that it’s set in Texas (that’s where I live!) and that the main character, Maggie, has a terrible fear of flying (me too!). And while the plot was fairly predictable–there were a few surprises–I still enjoyed every word, which is why this one gets five glowing stars from me.
Woman (Margaret) triumphs after tragedy.
After forcing Margaret—who was terrified of flying—to take a ride in his small plane so that he could propose, boyfriend Chip crash landed. While Chip escaped without a scrape on him, Margaret was left burned and paralyzed. How will the couple cope after the happiest moment of their lives was immediately followed by the most tragic?
As if that wasn’t enough for Margaret to deal with, she was also still wondering why her older sister, Kitty, hasn’t talked to her family in 3 years, and if she would return now. What happened between her and Margaret’s mom? And, what’s up with Margaret’s physical therapist, Ian? Why was he so mean and uncaring with his patients?
How to Walk Away was a beautiful, heartfelt story of resilience and finding hope in the darkest hour. It was a quick and easy read that made me feel like I was hanging out with friends. I especially enjoyed the banter between Margaret, Kitty, and Ian. A few parts brought tears to my eyes as I simultaneously empathized and sympathized with Margaret’s experiences. This was my first book by this author, and I look forward to more!
“When you don’t know what to do for yourself, do something for somebody else.”
Thank you to the author, the publisher, BookishFirst, and The Girlfriend for advance copies of this book! One of the hard copies was passed along in a giveaway on my book blog. All opinions are my own.
Location: Austin, Texas
#BookMail #WalkAwayGirlfriend #HowToWalkAwayBook #BookSparks #SRC2018
Wow and here I thought the last book I read was emotional! How to Walk Away by Katherine Center made me cry even harder than The Ones We Choose did. However, in this book there is more romance and much more of an “inspirational story” vibe.
Margaret Jacobsen is 27 years old when she gets on a Cessna prop plane with her boyfriend who is working on getting his pilot’s license. She is terrified of flying, but she gets on anyway because she wants to face her fears (plus she thinks her boyfriend Chip is about to propose). This is a choice that will change her life forever.. What follows is the story of how Margaret copes with a life changing injury, and how everyone else reacts as well.
This book made me cry like a BABY, and I loved what a strong personality Margaret is. If there is a real Margaret Jacobsen out there I want her to be my best friend because she was such a relatable character, and she was freaking hilarious. How to Walk Away is told entirely from Margaret’s point of view, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It felt like your best friend was telling you her life story and it just felt so real to me.
This book is all about overcoming a life-changing tragedy. It was such a perfect combination of adversity, romance, and joy that it made it a very emotional but hopeful read. I was also able to read this book in a day which is saying something too!
Final Thought: I loved this book and when I got towards the end I wished there wasn’t an ending. It is so beautifully written, and I really can’t wait to read more from this author knowing how much I loved this novel. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an inspirational story with a bit of romance and sadness. There is a lot of pain in How to Walk Away, but a lot of hope and happiness as well.
How to Walk Away in 3-ish words: Entertaining, Emotional, Conversational
Maggie Jacobsen is scared to death of flying. She has flown many times with her family but still hates it. Her boyfriend Chip figures he will get Maggie to change her mind about flying by getting his pilots license. It’s Valentines Day and Chip decides to take Maggie for a short flight. Maggie knows that Chip is probably going to propose so she agrees to go with him, against her better judgement, on this short romantic jaunt. This one decision will change the course of Maggie’s life, as well as Chip’s, and her family’s lives forever! Maggie’s sister Kitty will come back into her life after being gone for several years without any contact. Kitty’s return will stir up a hornets nest with her parents. Ian is a physical therapist going through the daily grind of his job. Little does he know that his life is about change forever also.
Katherine Center has written a poignant story of love, friendship, hardship and grief. Beautifully written and another must read this year. The depth of the characters and emotions within this one story is so well crafted you will want to devour this book!
Bravo Katherine Center! I fell in love with this story. A definite a MUST read for 2018!
I started reading this one, and the next time I looked up, I was 100 pages in. I had a few more minutes, so I kept reading, reluctantly putting it down when I absolutely had to leave. I later spent every spare moment and past my bedtime finishing it. There is so much to say about this story, but so I much I don’t want to, for fear of ruining it for someone else. I went into it with the bare minimum of background, and found I liked not knowing what to expect.
This is a story that brings home the thought that sometimes things in life don’t turn out anything like you planned or hoped, it is how you choose to deal with it and make your life that matters. Sometimes, you have to step back and forge a new path, finding happiness in a different way and realize life is never 100 percent happy or perfect, for anyone.
This story was, by turns, heart-wrenching and heartwarming; sad and joyful. The story was real, dealing with the gamut of emotions Margaret went through on her journey, as well as her interactions with the people around her. Like many, I found Kit to be a wonderful character. She provided just what Margaret needed, despite her protests.
This story will live in my thoughts and my heart for some time to come.
#WalkAwayGirlfriend #StMartins
Thank you NetGalley, Bookish and St Martin’s Press for letting me read such an awesome book.
From the very first this book will pull you in and you won’t want to do anything else but keep reading. It’s a very sad story with lots of happy mixed in. It will certainly make you appreciate your own life so much more. The little things that get you don’t won’t seem quite so bad anymore.
You can only reach out so many times before you stop trying.
You get one life, and it only goes forward. And there really are all kinds of happy endings. Those are my two very favorite lines from this book.
Margaret had everything. A perfect boyfriend who had just asked her to marry him. A life that she worked very hard to get. College, future, everything. But in a few seconds it was all taken away. She would never be the same again. She had a terrible fear of flying…
Chip was a good looking young man who was in love with Margaret and wanted to marry her. He asked her while flying and of course they were going to have the perfect life together. Until one tragic moment when it was all taken away.
Kitty, Margaret’s sister, had been gone for three years when the accident happened. She came back to be close to her sister. To help in any way she could. She’s a very strong determined young woman with a mind of her own and a will to match.
Their mother, Linda, I didn’t like at all for a long time in this story. She was overbearing and controlling. Her best friend was Chip’s mother and I didn’t like her either. She was just plain mean and should have stayed home and out of Margaret’s business.
I loved Ian, the physical therapist. He was one of my favorites in this story. The nurses didn’t want him to be Margaret’s PT at first but he was so good for her. He brought out a side of her that needed to be. A part that made her fight and want to get better. He was just good for her.
Tragedy is something that I hope no one that I’m close to ever has to endure. But if you do keep on fighting. Never stop.
This book made me cry more than any book I have ever read. It was a very emotional story filled with lots of ups and downs. It had happy parts to, but the story itself will leave you breathless. From the start to the very last word you will be hooked. You’ll root for Margaret to find happiness and to have a fulfilling life. You will want her to find that one special person.
This book was beautifully written. It’s definitely one I won’t soon forget. It’s a big 5 stars and would be many many more if I could. Loved it…
Three strong women (mother and two daughters) each dealing with a crisis of their own, but not alone and their united strength pulls them though. Everyone’s battle is huge to them, even if the outside world has greater issues. That is how this story was written. The main character, Margaret, is in a terrible accident and then has to fight her way back to a life she can adjust to. Her sister and mother also have battles to face and as the story progresses, you find out what their battles are. Margaret sometimes has to push her own issues aside to help her mother and sister.
The story is an account of a personal journey through the difficult rehabilitation after an accident and the adjustment to life afterwards. The Rehab in the story is written as being pretty difficult. I know it is usually worse than written in this book. That was a blessing really, since what was written was sad enough to read about, which all the more makes you cheer for Margaret as she reaches the other end and is a stronger person for the future of her life.
This was the first book I read by Katherine Center. I received the ARC from The Girlfriend from AARP in a giveaway. I want to thank them and also St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to enter this special world created by the Katherine Center and also introduce me to a new wonderful author.
I have already picked up another of her books and am reading it now
How to Walk Away is an inspirational story about how to move forward after life throws one’s biggest fear at them. What Margaret Jacobson thought would be the greatest day of her short life, turned into the worst.
Katherine Center has delivered a well written and highly engaging read with flawed, realistic, and candid characters. I love Margaret, our main character, immensely. She was courageous, sometimes strong-willed, and had a sarcastic humor that I found quite amusing. I love Center’s use of sisterhood with Kitty and the bond that grew through the struggle. Highly enjoyable and unforgettable story that will stick with any reader that picks it up.
My first book by the Author Katherine Center. I loved this book!! It was full of hope, love, perseverance! I fell in love with some of the characters but others I wanted to slap. This was a well written and engaging story! And the cover of this book is Beautiful!!
One of the best books I’ve read. Beautiful written story with realistic, honest characters…some you will fall in live with, and others want to smack silly…or worse.
“There are all sorts of happy endings.”
This quote at the very beginning sets the tone for a wonderful and inspiring book beautifully written. As we read of the very real human struggles of our leading character, we are drawn into the difficulty of working through anger, resentment, frustration, and depression. The love, support, and care of family and a dedicated physical therapist, along with her own will power, gradually lead her to realize, “You have to live the life you have and make the best of things.”
This is a story of hope, courage, determination and eventual success after meeting all the hardships to achieve it.
This is a beautiful book and anyone will love its message!