Bøker av Colleen Faulkner

How much more can you give when you've already given everything? In Colleen Faulkner's affecting, thought-provoking new novel, the mother of a pregnant teenager discovers there are no easy answers-and that a mistake-proof life may not be worth living … Liv Ridgely prides herself on being the responsible wrangler of all things family: stay at home mom, caretaker of elderly parents, supporter of husband Oscar's career, savior of her wayward sister. Now, with her son off to college, and her ambitious daughter, Hazel, a year away from following him, it's Liv's turn. She's even established her dream career of bringing beautiful old homes back to life in the most picturesque part of Maine. Until she learns that 16-year-old Hazel is three months pregnant. Hazel insists she will have the baby and raise him with her boyfriend, Tyler, who's no one's idea of a model father. Clearly, there are going to be some conflicts to iron out. Liv just doesn't expect them to be with her husband. As it turns out, Liv and Oscar have very different ideas about what to do. Perhaps it's because Liv, who was adopted, has a unique perspective on this baby's future. And perhaps it's because, as a mother, she knows better than anyone how Hazel's young life will be changed forever. As the family fractures in every direction, past resentments and pain come tumbling out. After years of putting others first, Liv wonders if she can do what's best for her daughter, her parents, and her marriage-while still being true to herself.

What happens after you get what you've always wanted? In Colleen Faulkner's thought-provoking and emotionally compelling novel, a mother is reunited with the daughter who was abducted as a toddler-only to face unexpected and painful challenges . . . It's the moment Harper Broussard always dreamed of. Her daughter Georgina, snatched fourteen years ago during a Mardi Gras parade, is standing before her, making cappuccinos behind the counter of Harper's favorite New Orleans coffee shop. Harper's ex-husband, Remy, has patiently endured many "sightings" over the years, and assumes this is yet another false alarm. Yet this time, Harper is right. The woman who kidnapped Georgina admits to her crime. Georgina, now known as Lilla, returns to her birth parents. But in all of Harper's homecoming fantasies, her daughter was still a little girl, easily pacified with a trip to the park or a cherry snowball. In reality, she's a wary, confused teenager who has never known any mother except the loving woman who's now serving time. Harper's younger daughter, Josephine, has spent her life competing with the ghost of a perfect, missing sister. Trying to bond with the real, imperfect version isn't any easier. And though Remy has agreed to give their strained marriage another chance, he and Harper struggle to connect. Clinging to dreams of reuniting has been Harper's way of surviving. Now she must forge new ones on an often heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful journey-one that will redefine her idea of motherhood and family.

Julia Maxton can’t imagine anything worse than losing one of her three daughters—until the day seventeen-year-old Haley runs a stop sign, killing her younger sister Caitlin. Six weeks after the crash, the family is falling apart. Julia struggles not to show hostility toward Haley, but her deep-rooted anger won’t go away. Her husband, Ben, has drifted away emotionally. Their youngest daughter, Izzy, is lost in the shuffle. And despite Haley’s insistence that she’s fine, her actions scream otherwise.   Fearing that she’s about to lose a second child, Julia decides to take Haley on a cross-country drive. Maybe somewhere between Nevada and Maine they can bridge the gulf between them. But first there will be painful questions to face—is Julia a good mother? Did she secretly love responsible, respectful Caitlin more than defiant Haley? Can Haley ever find peace with her mother—and herself—again?   In Colleen Faulkner’s most thought-provoking and complex novel to date, an unthinkable tragedy becomes the starting place for a powerful journey toward healing and hope. Honest and unforgettable, Julia’s Daughters explores the surprising ways that families—even the most fractured—can save each other, over and over again.