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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Tragedy, loss, misunderstandings, family dynamics, and secrets. This book has it all!
I LOVED this book!
A tragedy opens the whole Jacobsen family up to sometimes hard truths.
Maggie forced into a situation she KNEW she’d regret, with tragic consequences. Can she overcome the loss of the life she’d been planning and move forward? Kit who left home three years ago after discovering a secret so devastating, she had to make her own way in the world. Cliff and Linda, Maggie and Kit’s parents. Secrets that are kept for too long have a way of becoming more damaging with time.
Then there’s Ian, soulful, sad, wounded, Ian, who comes into Maggie’s life to teach and help. But who is benefitting more? Maggie who needs to learn resiliency and acceptance or Ian who just needs but isn’t ready to acknowledge or understand that.
Gosh…I inhaled this story. So, moving and uplifting and sad and lovely and funny and tear inducing. This is one book that will stay with me for a while.
Once I picked this up, I couldn’t put it down. So much hope and inspiration in this story. Such amazing characters, some of which you’ll love, some of which you’ll hate, and some of which you’ll change your mind about once you get to know.
Also, where can I find me an Ian?
And also also, tumped is totally a word. Even if I am from Texas! Lol
My first book by Katherine Center and now I can’t wait to read her others! This is a story about fear, overcoming what life throws at you and trying to keep your sanity while you have zero control. It’s also a story about love and hope and the main character, Margaret, just pulls you in!
This was one of the best books I have read this year! Great characters! Wonderful story!
I opened the front cover and read without stopping until I reached the end. Loved these characters and her writing.
Loved it!!!
This was the first book I read about this author and I have to say it was fantastic. Chip ( her boyfriend) and Maggie are in an accident. Chip walks away unharmed but Maggie doesn’t. Maggie tries to overcome everything that is thrown at her with the help of her sister Kit and Ian hitting a snag every now and then. I love Maggie’s character. She is sarcastic and funny. This books send you on a journey that is tragic but shows you how to survive and move on.
I know I’m a little late on this one but wow did I love it.
Let me start by saying I LOVED Margaret!! She fight, drive, her humor and the talking ( I can relate to wanting to always talk lol). She was facing impossible things, her world was crumbling but yet she fought and she had found things in life she wanted to fight for!
All the characters had great development and growth. I liked the family issue as a underlying plot. And the love that grew through this book! I couldn’t get enough!
Thank you to @stmartinspress and @thegirlfriendletter for my copy for review.
What a great way to start out the new year! I admit that I bought this book because the protagonist is a paraplegic, and my husband was paralzyed for a very long year. But it is just a great book, PERIOD. Katherine Center is a gifted writer, who develops well-drawn and believeable characters. This book provides a beautiful mosaic (inside joke that you will get, if you read the book) of tragedy, romance, depression, joy, hope, and redemption. I love Center’s sense humor. Her portrayals of the ups and downs of paralyzed life were true to life, in our experience. She is frank about the obstacles and frustrations, yet proves that there is hope and that paraplegic patients can move forward and have happy lives as well. I only have one quibble with the book. When Margaret is in the hospital, her family actually think they can make decisions FOR her about who can visit, and some of her sister’s social media posts were supposedly against Margaret’s will. But actually, because of the strict HIPPA law, only the patient can decide who knows about her condition, and who can visit her.To violate those wishes would be not only a violation of the patient’s will, but also would mean breaking federal law. Hospitals could get into trouble with the feds, for allowing in unwanted visitors as well. But otherwise, it is a wonderful book, which I highly recommend to anyone who is in a wheelchair, has a loved one or friend in one – or just enjoys reading a very moving book that you don’t want to end.
Great read!
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center is a phenomenal story and an easy read. It has such a positive impact and is a novel that will stay with me for quite some time. It easily gets five stars, and I highly recommend it.
I couldn’t put this book down… u laughed and credited all the way through! I loved it, start to finish. I didn’t want it to end and I still think about Maggie and how things turned out for her. Great read.
What a journey – I loved this book!
I have to be honest. I picked this up to read because of the cover – thinking it would be about relationship — which it was, but not in the way I expected. Had I known what the book was about, I might not have read it. But I’m so glad I did. Katherine Center has written a wonderfully uplifting book despite the tragedy at the center of the story. A testament to resilience and the strength that can grow out of suffering.
I loved this story! It was well written with a realistic happy ever after.
Good summer read. I am a physical therapist so the rehab parts were realistic. Liked the humor in a life-changing situation.
Definitely will read more by this author. Such a good book! Loved it….even though the ending began to become clear about mid-way – what a wonderful ride to the end with so much thought provoking issues.
It was a good read & happy & sad at diff times. Romance but true to life
One of my very favorite books.
Different from the usual romance in that the heroine is physically challenged.