by: Liz Flaherty
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Release Date: December 28, 2022
Publisher: Singing Tree Publishing
Early McGrath doesn't want freedom from her thirty-year marriage to Nash, but when it's forced upon her, she does the only thing she knows to do - she goes home to the Ridge to reinvent herself.
Only what is someone who's spent her life taking care of other people supposed to do when no one needs her anymore? Even as the threads of her life unravel, she finds new ones - reconnecting with the church of her childhood, building the quilt shop that has been a long-time dream, and forging a new friendship with her former husband.
The definition of freedom changes when it's combined with faith, and through it all perhaps Early and Nash can find a Soft Place to Fall.
Marriage Resurrected
by Liz Flaherty
My husband and I have been retired from our day jobs for quite a while, but he still makes music and I still write books. Even after 51 years, we have very little in common—the man doesn’t like to travel; can you believe that? He’d rather watch TV reruns than read a book. Until recent years, we frequently canceled out each other’s votes. He prefers chain restaurants to Mom-and-Pop places—it’s all about consistency for him; I think it’s boring. He thinks being negative keeps you from being disappointed; I think being negative means being nothing but disappointed. I’m a cradle Methodist and he’s a Catholic who jumped out of the cradle.
When we started the aforementioned retirement, I thought it would be easy. We’d spend all our time together and cultivate mutual interests and we’d travel and…
What was I thinking? Had I just gone blithely into the deep end when I can’t swim at all?
And, yes, I do absolutely still love the guy in the other recliner and can’t imagine a day without him in it. But there are days…oh, yes, there are days...when it’s not easy, or even close to easy. We’ve been lucky…and worked hard…so that we’ve never parted from each other (except that I travel with girlfriends and our kids while he and the cats stay home.) While we’ve had both loud times and disturbingly silent ones, we’ve been in the same place. We clung desperately to the idea that the next day would be better. Sometimes it took more than one, and we were okay with that, too.
But not everyone makes it all the way through the loud and silent times.
In A Soft Place to Fall, Early and Nash got married she was 16 and he was 18. She was pregnant and still in high school. They both worked nearly all the time and got Nash through medical school and raised four children. Thirty years after they got married, there’s plenty of money, the kids are all doing well, they’re living in a pretty gated community in Lexington, Kentucky, enjoying grandbabies and freedom from debt and…
And maybe not enjoying anything at all. At least, Nash isn’t.
Divorced and in search of herself, Early moves back to the Ridge in rural Kentucky. She takes care of Nash’s father after he has heart surgery, of her mother when she breaks her ankle, and…finally…of herself. As she builds a quilt shop named A Soft Place to Fall, she creates a life for herself.
But then there’s Nash.
A Soft Place to Fall was first released in 2013. Nine years later, with a few changes, Early and Nash’s journey to grace still feels relevant—even more so to me now because of those hard days I was talking about. I hope you find grace and its path in the story, too.
Francie Winslow, Early’s mother, lived in a little two-bedroom ranch house in Pleasant Hill. Nash had bought it for her when it came to his attention that you could see daylight through the floorboards of her kitchen in Four Corners. This was how it came to be that, although Francie had little patience with her daughter, she completely adored him.
“You could put your daddy in the nursing home over to the other side of town,” she suggested. “It’s a nice enough place, and I think they got most of those violations took care of.”
Early, who Francie had put to work cleaning the tops of the cupboards, tossed him a furious look.
“I don’t think so, Fran,” Nash said easily. “You may not be afraid of my dad, but I am. He’d hurt me real bad if I even suggested such a thing.” When Early snorted, he grinned at her. “If Early didn’t kill me first, that is.”
“’Course, he still owns his house up the mountain ’tween Stringtown and Four Corners,” said Francie thoughtfully. “It’s way too big for one person, though, and isn’t it rented out?”
“Not right now.” Nash sipped his coffee. “Has been, though, to its detriment.”
“You can’t hardly see it from the road since the trees are leafed out, and there’s no telling what kind of condition renters have left it in.” Francie got up from the table. “Now, you get those corners real good, Earline. I swear, cobwebs just grow right up before your very eyes if you’re not careful.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Early glared at the back of her mother’s head.
“So how are all the children?” Francie refilled Nash’s cup. “Anna’s not pregnant again, is she? Land’s sake, Earline, she must be as fertile as you. I thought for a while you and Nash were going to have a baby every year, then you were saddled with Sarah on top of that,” Francie fussed.
Nash tried not to grimace, but Early stiffened and stopped cleaning.
“Sarah was a gift from God.” Early’s voice dripped ice, the cleaning cloth hanging from her hand. “Just as her mother was.”
She’d never been one for throwing things—Nash prayed she wouldn’t start now.
Flame climbed up Francie’s rouged cheeks. “Susan was a punishment for sins both real and imagined. Sarah is an extension of that punishment.”
“Sarah is our fourth child, Francie,” Nash said quietly, “and, as her mother said, a gift for which we are grateful every day. You done up there, Early? Why don’t we go take a look at Mama and Dad’s house?”
“You didn’t answer my questions,” said Francie, seemingly oblivious to Early’s fury. “About the children. Is Anna pregnant or not? Is Evan ever going to get married? Jessie’s not still hanging around that Walden boy from Pleasant Hill, is she? He’s bad news, mark my words.”
Early climbed down from the chair. “Anna’s not pregnant, though it’s her own business if she is. Jessie’s sort of dating a lawyer who looks like Ryan Gosling. We can only hope for the female population of Lexington that Evan’s not considering marriage—he’d be a terrible husband. And not that you asked, but Sarah’s fine.”
Francie ran an arthritic finger along the edge of one of the cupboards Early had waxed, checking it for cleanliness. “Not dating, though, even though she’s twenty-five and not bad looking. Bad blood shows, mark my words, and decent men won’t have anything to do with her.”
Early opened her mouth, but Nash gripped her arm, and she closed it again.
“We’ll be back later, Francie,” he said. “Be ready about seven, and we’ll take you to supper.”
Regardless of her stance on his driving, she didn’t object when he took the keys from her hand and opened the passenger door for her. “I’m afraid you’ll drive us into a wall,” he said. “You have to stop letting her get you so upset, Early.”
“She would upset anyone, so don’t blame me,” she said sharply. “If she were your mother, you’d be upset, too. Look at the effect Joe has on you and all he does is marry the wrong people.”
He snorted. “Joe’s a forty-five-year-old adolescent.”
“Mother’s a sixty-six-year-old termagant. Wanna trade?”
“Doesn’t matter. We married each other, and part of it was that you got my brother and I got your mother. Even in the divorce, there are no givebacks of the relatives.”
They drove along in silence, the car whispering through the curves toward Stringtown Proper. “Nash, why did you do it?” Early asked. “I know I’ve asked before, probably five times since you left, but you’ve never given a good reason. Why did you want a divorce?”
Nash looked over at her. From any other spurned wife, that question probably would have sounded pathetic. But it didn’t from Early; her voice was calm, dry, matter-of-fact, just as it always was. For a moment, he knew sheer terror. Did a divorce mean she wouldn’t be in his life anymore except in the satellite function of being his kids’ mother?
“You’re my best friend, Early,” he said.
“Well, that’s certainly a good reason.”
He thought for a minute, trying to put words together that matched the emotions raging inside him. “It is when that’s all you are.”
The swift intake of her breath told him he’d hurt her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t want to—”
“It’s all right.” She was looking out the passenger window and he couldn’t see her face, but the pain seemed to arc between them. “I asked for it.”
“You could put your daddy in the nursing home over to the other side of town,” she suggested. “It’s a nice enough place, and I think they got most of those violations took care of.”
Early, who Francie had put to work cleaning the tops of the cupboards, tossed him a furious look.
“I don’t think so, Fran,” Nash said easily. “You may not be afraid of my dad, but I am. He’d hurt me real bad if I even suggested such a thing.” When Early snorted, he grinned at her. “If Early didn’t kill me first, that is.”
“’Course, he still owns his house up the mountain ’tween Stringtown and Four Corners,” said Francie thoughtfully. “It’s way too big for one person, though, and isn’t it rented out?”
“Not right now.” Nash sipped his coffee. “Has been, though, to its detriment.”
“You can’t hardly see it from the road since the trees are leafed out, and there’s no telling what kind of condition renters have left it in.” Francie got up from the table. “Now, you get those corners real good, Earline. I swear, cobwebs just grow right up before your very eyes if you’re not careful.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Early glared at the back of her mother’s head.
“So how are all the children?” Francie refilled Nash’s cup. “Anna’s not pregnant again, is she? Land’s sake, Earline, she must be as fertile as you. I thought for a while you and Nash were going to have a baby every year, then you were saddled with Sarah on top of that,” Francie fussed.
Nash tried not to grimace, but Early stiffened and stopped cleaning.
“Sarah was a gift from God.” Early’s voice dripped ice, the cleaning cloth hanging from her hand. “Just as her mother was.”
She’d never been one for throwing things—Nash prayed she wouldn’t start now.
Flame climbed up Francie’s rouged cheeks. “Susan was a punishment for sins both real and imagined. Sarah is an extension of that punishment.”
“Sarah is our fourth child, Francie,” Nash said quietly, “and, as her mother said, a gift for which we are grateful every day. You done up there, Early? Why don’t we go take a look at Mama and Dad’s house?”
“You didn’t answer my questions,” said Francie, seemingly oblivious to Early’s fury. “About the children. Is Anna pregnant or not? Is Evan ever going to get married? Jessie’s not still hanging around that Walden boy from Pleasant Hill, is she? He’s bad news, mark my words.”
Early climbed down from the chair. “Anna’s not pregnant, though it’s her own business if she is. Jessie’s sort of dating a lawyer who looks like Ryan Gosling. We can only hope for the female population of Lexington that Evan’s not considering marriage—he’d be a terrible husband. And not that you asked, but Sarah’s fine.”
Francie ran an arthritic finger along the edge of one of the cupboards Early had waxed, checking it for cleanliness. “Not dating, though, even though she’s twenty-five and not bad looking. Bad blood shows, mark my words, and decent men won’t have anything to do with her.”
Early opened her mouth, but Nash gripped her arm, and she closed it again.
“We’ll be back later, Francie,” he said. “Be ready about seven, and we’ll take you to supper.”
Regardless of her stance on his driving, she didn’t object when he took the keys from her hand and opened the passenger door for her. “I’m afraid you’ll drive us into a wall,” he said. “You have to stop letting her get you so upset, Early.”
“She would upset anyone, so don’t blame me,” she said sharply. “If she were your mother, you’d be upset, too. Look at the effect Joe has on you and all he does is marry the wrong people.”
He snorted. “Joe’s a forty-five-year-old adolescent.”
“Mother’s a sixty-six-year-old termagant. Wanna trade?”
“Doesn’t matter. We married each other, and part of it was that you got my brother and I got your mother. Even in the divorce, there are no givebacks of the relatives.”
They drove along in silence, the car whispering through the curves toward Stringtown Proper. “Nash, why did you do it?” Early asked. “I know I’ve asked before, probably five times since you left, but you’ve never given a good reason. Why did you want a divorce?”
Nash looked over at her. From any other spurned wife, that question probably would have sounded pathetic. But it didn’t from Early; her voice was calm, dry, matter-of-fact, just as it always was. For a moment, he knew sheer terror. Did a divorce mean she wouldn’t be in his life anymore except in the satellite function of being his kids’ mother?
“You’re my best friend, Early,” he said.
“Well, that’s certainly a good reason.”
He thought for a minute, trying to put words together that matched the emotions raging inside him. “It is when that’s all you are.”
The swift intake of her breath told him he’d hurt her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t want to—”
“It’s all right.” She was looking out the passenger window and he couldn’t see her face, but the pain seemed to arc between them. “I asked for it.”
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She and Duane, her husband of at least forever, live in a farmhouse in central Indiana, sharing grown children, spoiled cats, and their grandkids, the Magnificent Seven. (Don’t get her started on them—you’ll be here all day.)
Places to find Liz Flaherty:
Thanks so much for having me here today!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Liz! I just finished The Room on Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel--a WWII French resistance story that was very engaging.
ReplyDeleteHi, Nan. I don't normally read WWII, but I do like that title.
DeleteSummoning Up Love by Synithia Williams
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anna!
DeleteI'm reading this book now and I love the story! I recommend reading The Gambler's Heart by Traci Tiamo-a recently released 1950's romance with all the vibes of a Bogart and Bacall classic.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you, Suzanne. The Gambler's Heart sounds fun. Like WWII, the 50s has never been a favorite time period for me, but I think I need to expand my horizons!
DeleteLove the story premise and the excerpt. I sometimes think the people God teams us up with is positive proof that he has a sense of humor!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with that! Lol.
DeleteWhat a powerful excerpt, Liz! Loved your post.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jana!
DeleteI enjoyed this post. I can't wait to see how Early's life turns out.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janine. I hope you like her story!
DeleteI can't wait to read this book! It sounds all kinds of interesting! Unfortunately I haven't been able to read much. I think the last book I read was Nancy Fraser's RETURN OF THE RUNAWAY BRIDE, a Last Chance Beach Romance.
ReplyDeleteThat was an excellent choice!
Deletesounds like a journey many women find themselves in.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right.
DeleteI enjoyed Once Upon A Christmas by Jane Porter
ReplyDeleteJane Porter's wonderful, isn't she?
DeleteI loved Remember Love by Mary Balogh!
ReplyDeleteThe last good book I read was Demons Fall series by G Bailey! This sounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete