Spinning Forward: A Novel

Overview

"A Southern Debbie Macomber, but with a flair all her own.
I never wanted to leave Cedar Key."
--Karin Gillespie

In a debut novel brimming with warmth and wit, Terri DuLong spins a tale of new beginnings, old friends, and lives forever bound...

A New Englander born and bred, the last place Sydney Webster expects to find herself starting over is on an island off the coast of Florida. Yet here she is in Cedar Key, trying to pull herself together after her husband's untimely death--and the even more untimely revelation of his gambling addiction. Bereft of her comfortable suburban life, Syd takes shelter at a college pal's bed and breakfast, where amidst the bougainvillea blossoms and the island's gentle rhythms, a plan begins to form...

Syd never considered the possibility of turning her passion for spinning and knitting into something more than a hobby, but when the unique composition of her wool draws attention, a door is opened--the first among many. Yet even as she ventures out of her comfort zone, Syd finds herself stepping into the embrace of a community rich with love, laughter, friendship...and secrets. And as long-hidden truths are revealed, Syd faces a choice: spin a safety net--or spin decidedly forward and never look back...

"Poignant, absorbing, humorous...a debut that tugs at the heart."--Sophia Nash, author of A Dangerous Beauty

"Captures the essence of what often lies in each of our hearts. Don't miss it!"--J.L. Miles, author of Cold Rock River

Born and raised in north of Boston, Terri DuLong now resides with her husband, two dogs, and three cats on an island off the west coast of Florida. A retiredRegistered Nurse, she began her writing career as a contributing writer for Bonjour Paris, where she shared her travel experiences to France in over forty articles with a fictional canine narrator. Terri's love of knitting provides quiet time to develop her characters and plots for her future novels.

Editorial Reviews

DuLong's debut reads like an unintentional parody of Southern hen lit. After 52-year-old Sydney Webster's husband dies in a car accident, she discovers he was a compulsive gambler, and his habits have left her penniless. She heads to Cedar Key, Fla., where best friend Alison takes her in. Sydney decides to open a knitting shop in Cedar Key and meets a gorgeous artist named Noah, who falls in love with her. Adding to the nonurgency is Sydney's decision to search for her biological birth mother; conveniently, Sydney looks a lot like 80-something local spinster Sybile Bowden. The narrative lacks tension and originality, and its banal predictability won't do it any favors in a crowded field. (Nov.)

Author Information

Bio of Terri DuLong

No bio available for Terri DuLong.

Customer Reviews

• Amazing.

  Posted October 22, 2009 by Selena Esflapoleon, Sparks, NV

  The literature and events of this book fold out to a amazing story of life and love...

• Awesome Book!

  Posted November 10, 2009 by STK, Princeton

  This book was surprisingly very very good. It brought out a variety of emotions (laughter, happiness, sadness, tears). Some of the twists and turns were obvious at times and definitely surprising at times. The pace of the book was good, it kept me curious to see what would happen next.

• An enjoyable read

  Posted November 12, 2009 by Jennifer, Charlottesville

  This book isn't the type that I usually choose to read, but I'm glad I got to read it. The story was about a newly widowed 50-something year old woman who moves to a new town to start over. Being good at knitting and spinning, she opens a yarn shop, but that's not the major part of the story. The book is mostly about mother-daughter relationships, finding yourself, and how it's never too late for anything. The ending was a bit sad but also heart-warming and hopeful. It's definitely more of a book for women and not for men though.

Additional Info

Imprint

Kensington Publishing Corporation

Filesize

830.16 KB

Number of Pages

352

eBook ISBN

075824990X