How to Walk Away

March 19, 2018
Center (Happiness for Beginners) explores the limits of hope and love in this bittersweet tale of a young woman suffering from a devastating injury who learns to care about others when she can’t figure out what to do for herself. The life lesson comes about after Maggie—about to start a dream job in Austin, Tex., and newly engaged—is paralyzed in a small plane crash. Her fiancé, Chip, who was the plane’s pilot, walks away unscathed, but is horrified by Maggie’s paralysis. Maggie begins a daunting rehabilitation with Ian, a stern Scottish physical therapist hiding a tragic loss of his own. Meanwhile, Maggie’s older sister, Kitty, returns from three years of self-imposed exile to comfort Maggie and exposes a family secret that has the potential to drive their parents apart. The cascade of events—from Maggie’s grueling hospital recovery and the bitter split from Chip to a reconciliation with Kitty and a bond with Ian—are fast-paced and sharply drawn. And though Maggie’s inspirational perseverance is the point of Center’s tale (“it’s the trying that heals you,” Ian tells Maggie), the smaller moments are among the most memorable: Maggie and Kitty’s night together after their long separation; Ian taking Maggie to the hospital rooftop for her first breath of fresh air; Maggie’s birthday party at the family cottage. Center transforms the story of a family tragedy into a heartfelt guide to living the fullest life possible. 100,000-copy announced first printing.

March 15, 2018
A woman faces a new life after surviving a plane crash in this moving story from Center (Happiness for Beginners, 2015, etc.).Margaret Jacobsen has always been afraid of flying--which is why she's extra hesitant to get in a plane flown by her pilot-in-training boyfriend, Chip, on Valentine's Day. When Chip proposes in the air, Margaret has everything she's ever wanted: an MBA, a great job lined up, and now the fiance of her dreams. But then Margaret's biggest nightmare becomes a reality: The plane crashes. Chip walks away without a scratch while Margaret has severe burns on her neck and a spinal cord injury. Suddenly, everything about Margaret's life has changed: Her job offer is rescinded, Chip can't cope with her injuries, and she may never walk again. Now, Margaret has only her family to depend on--her well-meaning but controlling mother, her loving father, and her black-sheep sister, Kitty, who returns to town after years of estrangement. As her family members try in their own ways to motivate Margaret, she also has to get through physical therapy with Ian, the world's grumpiest Scottish physical therapist. He has a prickly exterior, but Margaret slowly begins to realize that there may be more to him than she initially thought. A story that could be either uncompromisingly bleak or unbearably saccharine is neither in Center's hands; Margaret faces her challenges with a sense of humor that feels natural. She has days when the reality of her changed life hits her and she can't get out of bed, and she has moments where she and Kitty laugh so hard they cry. What she ultimately learns is that while her life may be much different than she expected and she may never be fully healed, as Ian puts it, "It's the trying that heals you." Margaret learns to take control of her own life in the wake of loss and change, trying to form a life she wants instead of a life everyone else wants for her. Center's characters, especially Margaret and Kitty, leap off the page with their unique voices, and their relationships evolve slowly and satisfyingly. Although this is largely the story of Margaret learning to make the most of her life, it's also a touching and believable love story with plenty of romantic-comedy flourishes.A story about survival that is heartbreakingly honest and wryly funny, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Elizabeth Berg.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 15, 2018

Immediately after the love of her life proposes, Margaret Jacobsen has an accident that leaves her with a spinal cord injury and severe burns. With her fiancé Chip struggling to deal with what happened, and Margaret learning how to live again, she leans on her sister Kit, with whom she was previously at odds. Center (Happiness for Beginners; The Lost Husband) has written a touching and truthful novel that shows how people can find comfort in the most unexpected places. The relationship between Kit and Margaret is reminiscent of the relationship between the Dashwood sisters in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. As she's fighting to gain control of her body, Margaret begins to rely on her physical therapist Ian, and eventually their working relationship turns into something much more. VERDICT Inspiring and romantic, this novel is similar to Jojo Moyes's Me Before You. The budding romance will draw readers in, but the relationships among the many other characters also make it memorable.--Holly Skir, Broward Cty. Lib., FL

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2018
Twenty-eight-year-old Margaret Jacobson is on top of the world. She's just bought a condo, she's in the running for a new job, and she's certain her boyfriend, Chip, is about to propose. So when Chip, who is on the cusp of getting his pilot's license, asks her to come flying with him in a small plane, Margaret swallows her fears and agrees to go. When Chip proposes, Margaret is thrilled, until it starts raining and the wind and Chip's relative inexperience cause the plane to crash. Chip emerges without a scratch, but Margaret is trapped inside the crushed passenger side of the plane when a fire breaks out. Though firefighters quickly put out the blaze, they have to cut Margaret out of the plane and she's rushed to the hospital. What follows flips Margaret's life on its head, forcing her to reevaluate relationships and leading to both unexpected connections and revelations. Center (Happiness for Beginners, 2015) knows how to keep the pages turning, ensuring readers will be completely swept up in Margaret's story. With its appealing characters and wisdom about grappling with life's challenges, Center's sixth novel has all the makings of a breakout hit.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)