Spinning Forward

Sydney Webster's comfortable New England life comes crashing down when her husband dies suddenly, leaving her penniless and evicted. She had no idea about his huge gambling debts, and is getting no sympathy from her hurt and angry twenty something daughter. With nowhere else to turn, Sydney takes shelter at a college friend's B&B in Cedar key, Florida, where she begins to form a plan. As Syd turns her talent at spinning wool and knitting into a retail venture, other doors begin to open. She steps into the embrace of a community rich with love, laughter, friendship...and secrets. And soon she faces a choice: spin a safety net, or spin forward and never look back. Entertaining and heart warming, this superb debut will win readers over with its real-life challenges and quirky and compelling characters. From Publishers Weekly DuLong's debut reads like an unintentional parody of Southern hen lit. After 52-year-old Sydney Webster's husband dies in a car accident, she discovers he was a compulsive gambler, and his habits have left her penniless. She heads to Cedar Key, Fla., where best friend Alison takes her in. Sydney decides to open a knitting shop in Cedar Key and meets a gorgeous artist named Noah, who falls in love with her. Adding to the nonurgency is Sydney's decision to search for her biological birth mother; conveniently, Sydney looks a lot like 80-something local spinster Sybile Bowden. The narrative lacks tension and originality, and its banal predictability won't do it any favors in a crowded field. (Nov.) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. In a debut novel brimming with warmth and wit, Terri DuLong spins a tale of new beginnings, old friends, and lives forever bound... A New Englander born and bred, the last place Sydney Webster expects to find herself starting over is on an island off the coast of Florida. Yet here she is in Cedar Key, trying to pull herself together after her husband's untimely death--and the even more untimely revelation of his gambling addiction. Bereft of her comfortable suburban life, Syd takes shelter at a college pal's bed and breakfast, where amidst the bougainvillea blossoms and the island's gentle rhythms, a plan begins to form... Syd never considered the possibility of turning her passion for spinning and knitting into something more than a hobby, but when the unique composition of her wool draws attention, a door is opened--the first among many. Yet even as she ventures out of her comfort zone, Syd finds herself stepping into the embrace of a community rich with love, laughter, friendship...and secrets. And as long-hidden truths are revealed, Syd faces a choice: spin a safety net--or spin decidedly forward and never look back... "Poignant, absorbing, humorous...a debut that tugs at the heart."--Sophia Nash, author of A Dangerous Beauty "Captures the essence of what often lies in each of our hearts. Don't miss it!"--J.L. Miles, author of Cold Rock River Distraught With The Death Of Her Husband, Sydney Webster Moves To Cedar Key, Florida To Start Life Anew.