In Leah's Wake

When I wrote the first draft of In Leah's Wake, our children were teens. With four teenage daughters, I worried constantly. Like Zoe, I used to think, if only I knew everything would turn out well I wouldn’t worry so much. Of course we can’t see into the future, so I was always anxious. The teen years are a vulnerable time; even nice kids from the best families sometimes fall in with the wrong crowd. I had a friend – a smart, caring, lovely woman – whose youngest child was a coke addict, in and out of jail. My friend’s husband would leave money in the car, knowing that their son would come by at night to “steal” it. This was one of the most well-regarded families in town. The other three children were never in trouble, wonderful kids who grew up to be successful adults. You just never know. Watching these things happen, experiencing our own normal challenges, made me want to hold tightly to my children – every minute of every day. At the same time, if we want our children to become independent adults, we have to let go. Defining that line, figuring out when to hold on, how tightly, and when to open your arms and set them free is, to my mind, among the most difficult challenges parents face. And it was one of the driving forces behind this novel.

Terri Long's accomplished first novel takes the reader on a passionate roller-coaster ride through contemporary parenthood and marriage. It's sometimes scary, sometimes sad, and always tender. Susan Straight, National Book Award Finalist, author of Take One Candle Light a Room

In this story of a talented teenager rejecting her golden future, Terri Long accomplishes something quite extraordinary. She manages to write with equal empathy about both Leah and her parents and in so doing creates a powerful and intimate portrait of a family in disarray. I felt I knew these characters better than my friends and neighbors. In Leah's Wake is a beautifully written and absorbing novel. Margot Livesey, award-winning author of Banishing Verona and Eva Moves the Furniture

In Leah's Wake is an irresistible read. The characters immediately take up residence in your heart because they are people you know. By turns howlingly funny and achingly sad, the book details the vivid, harrowing journey of a fragile family that unravels and finds redemption thanks to a teenager's rebellion. Along the way, there are unflinching truths about adolescence and contemporary society, told in prose that leaps off the page like poetry. By the book's end, we are stunned by the gritty realization that, no matter how we try, it is impossible for any parent to hold a child safe and close forever. We can only hope that luck is on our side, and love our kids as if there is no tomorrow. Holly Robinson, Contributing writer, Family Circle, Parents, and Ladies Home Journal magazines, author of The Gerbil Farmer's Daughter: A Memoir

There are no quick and easy solutions here for Leah or for her parents. They each struggle through, learning in their own ways and taking responsibility for their actions in their own times, but as they are doing so, they pulled me right along as I continued to make comparisons to my own life. Jennifer Donovan, Managing Editor 5 Minutes for Books, Top 50 Book Blogger

As a mom, I felt what Zoe felt. It tore my heart out to see the promise of a child being replaced with the nightmare of reality. I'm adding Terri Giuliano Long to my list of authors I want to be stranded with. Susie Kline, Blogger, Motherhoot

I give In Leah's Wake 5 stars and recommend reading to anyone with tweens. Although it is fiction, this book can be a great reference for parenting teenagers. Monica Madsen, Blogger, A Mother'sTouch Bookshelf

In Leah's Wake is beautifully written, haunting, fascinating, and a book that has a lot to say, a lot to teach you, without getting preachy. Haley Stokes, Blogger, Triumphal Writing