Out of the Blue (26 page)
Wait, I thought.
Wait.
There’s so much more I need to say to her. But it was too late.
I turned to glance out the back window. There was Ma standing apart from the others on the sidewalk, looking after us in the twilight, her shining face growing smaller and smaller and eclipsing the flowers she held clutched in her hands.
Sometimes love is worth risking everything. A
New York Times
bestseller.
“What a beautiful book! Readers will be haunted, as I am, by the characters who become so real and come to matter so much. I loved it.” - Danielle Steel, author of
First Sight
and
Matters of the Heart
Sharlie Converse is twenty-six with a vivid and romantic interior life. Born with a heart defect that has defeated an army of specialists, she has lived her short life from moment to moment. Everything that matters most to her—color, excitement, adventure—is forbidden except in her imaginings and in the secret yearningss that she has long accepted will never be made real.
Until, on a cross town bus packed with Christmas shoppers, she falls into Brian Morgan’s arms. And Sharlie, whom love can kill, must make the agonizing choice: to risk her life by loving or never really to live at all.
An undeniable talent is coaxed into the spotlight in a witty and tender romance.
“With wit and wisdom, Sally Mandel illuminates our deepest hopes and secret fears, showing us what matters most.” - Deborah Smith, author of
The Stone Flower Garden
Bess Stallone is brash and bold, until she is placed center stage. A self-taught musical prodigy from the rough side of Long Island, the only thing Bess has in common with her Julliard classmates is her passion for classical music, and her extraordinary skill on the piano. A skill that crumbles under the weight of self-doubt when she plays for an audience.
Virtuoso David Montagnier is drawn to Bess’ wild talent, and gives her the opportunity she’s been waiting for to escape her blue-collar existence. He holds the key to Bess’ dreams – and surprisingly, she may hold the key to his – if she will surrender to the music and believe in love.
Dissatisfied in her life, a housewife returns to the passion she had put aside, and discovers a new one as well.
“A living, breathing portrait of a truly contemporary woman … a lovely read.” Barbara Taylor Bradford, author of
Secrets from the Past
and
A Woman of Substance
After seventeen years of marriage, Maggie Hollander should have it all. Her husband, Matthew, still loves her deeply, and two irrepressible children complete the picture-perfect family in their elegant New York apartment. But at thirty-eight, Maggie has questions about herself that grow deeper and more disturbing. Once a promising artist, she decides to return to art class in search of answers. It is there that she meets a sculptor who rekindles her talent, and her passion. David Golden will expose Maggie to a tenderness that is as liberating as it is dangerous, and will carry her toward an unforeseen choice.
An unlikely romance struggles in the face of dueling dreams, from New York Times bestselling author Sally Mandel.
“Mandel has a gift for true and incisive dialogue; she searches her characters probingly and captures them in a phrase precisely. These are people to enjoy and even to love.” -
Publisher’s Weekly
Headstrong and beautiful Quinn Mallory makes the impulsive decision to offer herself as the first prize in a college contest. Will Ingraham applies in verse, and wins the prize. Their personalities couldn’t be more different, but a true love blossoms between them that, they believe, will last forever. Until Quinn’s dreams of a career in the big city collide with Will’s longing for a quiet life together in his Idaho home—leaving Quinn to choose between the life she wants and the man she loves, and neither choice feeling like the right one.
The triumphant return of
New York Times
bestselling author Sally Mandel presents an intimate multigenerational portrait of the troubles and triumphs of a 20th century family.
Lily Adams is the animating spirit of those around her, even in her twilight years. Perhaps none is more touched by her presence than her granddaughter, Amy, whom Lily saves from a teenage crisis. The family saga of three generations of the Adams clan is filled with crises of identity and the pains of romance, with Lily’s presence profoundly felt throughout.
Take Me Back
focuses precisely, poignantly, and sometimes painfully, on the spaces between us, emphasizing the impact we can have on the lives of those around us, even in the mere echo of ourselves after we have gone.
Connect with us for information on new titles and authors from Diversion Books, free excerpts, special promotions, contests, and more:
