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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HOW TO WALK AWAY by Katherine Center tells the story of recovery and falling in love when you least expect it. On the day her boyfriend proposes, Margaret has a bad feeling. She’s right. An accident leaves her in the hospital, and no one wants to tell her how bad things are. I loved the intimate writing and cast of imperfect family members, friends and professionals who have to help Margaret adjust to a new way of life. Plus, there was a really believable love story, and that was the icing on the cake.
Dynamic book! I have great respect for her writing. The author is so spot on with her descriptions, her narrative, and with the emotions she portrays in this book.
I absolutely adored this wonderful story! It’s not often that you find a tale of tragedy with such a sense of fun. This book is hope in the face of despair, humor in the face of heartache, courage in the face of loss. Read this and feel your heart expand with admiration and inspiration. Treat yourself to this lovely, witty story of one woman’s journey to hope and all the unexpected allies she finds along the way. A must-read tale I wouldn’t have missed for the world.
I listened to the audiobook because Debbie Macomber recommended it. Loved, loved, loved it. Glorious story from a new-to-me author. Read or listen. Or both!
I adored the beautiful writing style and narrative of this book – the characters were wonderful and real and I will definitely be reading more from this author!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this story. So simple and yet so powerful. It was inspiring and funny and sad and tender, all at the same time.
Warm, witty, and wonderfully observed.
I really enjoyed this book, although picking it up before getting on a flight to Italy might have been a mistake!
Fans of Me Before You will enjoy this because the author does a great job of taking a tragic situation and addressing it with some light humor and a little romance. And unlike Me Before You, this one has a happier ending.
You will really respect the way Maggie deals with her new life, and you will love Ian (who is grumpy in the beginning, but soft and gooey at the core).
My only complaint is that Chip and Tara needed to suffer more! 🙂 I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.
This novel is one that will stay with me for a very long time. It’s the story of Margaret/Maggie and how her life is turned upside down from her perfectly planned one she had lined out. This book had my emotions running all over the place in so many ways. I felt the pain Maggie was going through. I felt the victories she won. The joys, the anger, the ups and downs. Katherine Center has a way of writing the words into a story that pulled me in and never let me go. She writes so descriptively as in this little bite .. “He was so serious, so sour, so much the opposite of jovial that he practically has a little cartoon scribble of grumpiness above his head.” That made me laugh but I could also envision it. The story is so humanly honest about the feelings, thoughts, fears, and pain…but also the joys, hopes and loves Maggie went through. I love the sarcastic humor and the lightness of the story, too. The characters are so likable…well, most of them…and totally real. Her sister never gave up on her and pushed her to keep going past her limits. There were so many lines that stuck with me in this book. “I am better for being broken.” “But you have to live the life you have.” When you don’t know what to do for yourself, do something for somebody else.” “But I knew one thing for sure: The greater our capacity for sorrow becomes, the greater our capacity for joy”. These are all such great life mottos to me. As I finished the book I found myself feeling so much emotion. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I want to thank The Girlfriend, Netgalley and mostly Katherine Center for the opportunity to read this book! I would give it more than five stars if I could.
I love this book.
Sometimes when a book gets a lot of hype, I wonder if it’s something that I’ll actually enjoy or whether it just has a publicity powerhouse behind it. Thankfully, HOW TO WALK AWAY lived up to everything. It was an easy read in the sense that it wasn’t trying to be literary or pretentious, but it also dealt with a very difficult subject and the fallout from that. It was hopeful and tragic, funny and serious all the same time, and definitely has me wanting to me to look up other books by the author.
Just so good. This book has a great romance in it, but it’s so much more than that. It’s about sisters, and the secrets our families keep, and how we manage to persevere when life punches you in the face (in this case, a plane crash) all while being humerous and endearing and thought-provoking. This is the second book by this author I have read (Things We Take in a Fire) and they are just so well done and engrossing that as a writer, I kinda hate her. (JK – I would be her best friend in a minute). Highly recommend
Margaret Jacobsen is at peak in her life–a great job, a boyfriend about to propose, a new home. A tragic accident brings all of that crashing down and Margaret has to start over, figuring how to make sense of her life–and whether can she make sense of her new life and how will she choose to live it. Funny, tragic, hopeful, with a good dose of quirky family hiding old secrets.
A beautiful story full of tragedy and hope. A book to reminds us we have one life and it is up to us to make the best of any situation. We are stronger than we think.
Was skeptical at first cause I am more of a psychological thriller kinda gal but wanted something different. I LOVED this book!! Besides the story it was very inspiring and really makes you appreciate what you have and makes you look at things differently.
How to Walk Away had everything I love in a good book: realistic characters, a strong heroine (with a heartbreaking but triumphant journey), sister love, and a happily-ever-after.
HOW TO WALK AWAY by Katherine Center is a tragically funny (yes, there is such a thing), life-affirming, feel-good story. I loved the premise, the two main characters, and the supporting characters—especially the quirky sister. Need a boost? Want a pick-me-up? This is the book for you!
How can you laugh at tragedy? I did with this wonderfully written book. Recommended it to all my reading friends. Witty, crazy, funny book. Characters were so real. Thank you Ms Center
Wow! I don’t know how to describe reading How to Walk Away by Katherine Center without sounding like a major fangirl. I picked it up in the afternoon thinking I could just read a chapter or two and get on with my day… never happened. The story of Margaret Jacobsen, a recent business school grad on the fast track to the perfect life with a dream job and a boyfriend who’s going to propose, as she navigates life after a horrific tragedy. Center’s books always seem fluffy and light on the surface, but go so much deeper than that. Her writing is absolutely gorgeous and she tucks great truths within the story that just stick with you for a long time. This is one of those novels that will become a part of my “desert island library”- books I read and reread over the years because they are comfort food to my soul. I HIGHLY recommend this one.
A gorgeous book about the dauntlessness of the human spirit in the face of sudden, unimaginable tragedy. The courage shown by the main character was so inspiring.