WELCOME HOME, STRANGER

Xe Sands pulls listeners into this thought-provoking story about family, grief, aging, and connection. Rachel Calloway, a divorced, childless, 50-something environmental journalist from Washington, DC, returns home to Maine following her mother's death. With vivid descriptions and well-developed characters, listeners find themselves witnesses to Rachel's journey as she revisits her complicated past with her abusive mother, deals with her tenuous home and work situations, and navigates her complicated relationship with her sister, Celeste. For an audiobook that is equal parts heartbreaking, engaging, and unexpectedly funny, Sands matches all of the emotions. Christensen's novel will resonate with anyone who is struggling to determine their place in the world and to answer the question of whether we can ever truly go home. K.S.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2024]