Blurred Fates

Book excerpt: 2023 Sarton Award Winner for Contemporary Fiction 2023 National Indie Excellence Awards Winner in Contemporary Fiction 2023 National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist in Literary Fiction 2023 Readers' Favorite Book Awards Silver Medalist in Fiction (Drama) KATE WHITTIER has it all: a loving, even-keeled husband, two great kids, and a beautiful home in Southern California. But Kate is living a lie. In a desperate attempt to create the safe, happy family she never had, she has been hiding secrets for decades—things she’s convinced make her unworthy of her wellborn husband, Jacob, and the privileged life he has provided. Then, one ordinary evening, Jacob confesses to a drunken sexual indiscretion he doesn’t quite remember, and Kate cracks open. Molten memories rise to the surface. Volatile emotions swirl. Triggered in ways she didn’t see coming, Kate is overwhelmed by rage she cannot explain and fear of who she might become. Her marriage unraveling, Kate returns to her childhood home, hoping to find closure. Instead, as the past invades the present and relationships collide, Kate discovers she’s not the only one lying—and the truth may not set anyone free.