What a Woman Must Do
When Celia Canby--Kate's niece, Bess's mother, and Harriet's cousin--is killed in a car accident, it's up to Kate and Harriet to raise Bess. Ten years later, on the day of the accident, the local newspaper in Harvester, MN, dredges up the story of the accident for a careless "Way Back When" piece, subjecting the women to another round of grief.
Kate, arthritic and stuck far away from the farm she loves, is concerned about Bess. Headstrong and closed off, Bess yearns to escape Harvester before she "goes bad." But when she begins to trace the same path of mistakes her mother made--a risky relationship with a local married man--everything seems on the verge of falling apart.
In a novel that celebrates the power of what a woman can do, What A Woman Must Do asks timeless questions about love and loss: How does our history define us? How can we let go of it? Should we?
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Praise for What a Woman Must Do "[T]he pages can't turn fast enough. Sullivan is a good storyteller and the peaceful, rural backdrop she sketches stands in poignant contrast to her sympathetic characters' struggles with temptation and conflicting loyalties."
--Publishers Weekly "Sullivan realizes the epoch in subtle and genuine detail. Teens who like family sagas, romance, and complex characters will treasure this novel. Its craftsmanship will cultivate their reading palates toward literary sophistication."
--School Library Journal "Sullivan provides a very perceptive look at actions and interactions and how they can reroute lives. Recommended for all libraries."
--Library Journal "Sullivan's writing is most effective at evoking the steady pace of small-town life. This novel has a kind of gentle gravity and sweetness."
--LA Times "Sullivan writes with insight about the difficulties her women characters face in this insular town. What a Woman Must Do draws the reader in."
--Washington Post
