Halfway to You
“I was always halfway there, trying desperately to close the distance. Waiting in some foreign land and hoping beyond hope that he’d prove me wrong and show up, after all.”
BOOK DETAILS:
Locations: Venice, Greece, Italy, New York, Thailand, and San Juan Island in Washington State.
Story: A second-chance love story meets family drama in this novel that spans four decades and countless travel destinations.
SYNOPSIS:
An ambitious podcaster and her reclusive interviewee embark on a life-altering journey to uncover long-lost truths in this immersive story about love, travel, and family secrets.
Forty years ago, aspiring writer Ann Fawkes left the United States for a Mediterranean adventure that opened her heart to travel and love. After a chance encounter propelled her into the publishing world, she released her first novel, an instant bestseller—and the last book she ever wrote.
Now, Ann lives a reclusive life in the San Juan Islands, hiding from the public and its probing questions. But when podcaster Maggie Whitaker convinces Ann to sit for an interview, Ann agrees on one condition: Maggie must keep her story off the record.
Determined to change Ann’s mind before she loses her job, Maggie agrees. But as she learns about Ann’s life—particularly the love affair that inspired her novel and the decisions she made in its wake—Maggie realizes Ann’s story intersects with her own in shocking, life-changing ways.
A sweeping, heart-wrenching novel that spans decades and continents, Halfway to You explores the distances we create between ourselves and the ones we love most and what it takes to finally bridge them.
Awards & Endorsements
“Halfway to You is an emotional and multilayered tale bursting with juicy family secrets and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. This story within a story is filled to the brim with surprising reveals you won’t see coming. I absolutely loved it.”
“There is no geometric figure that can describe the intersections and angles of this story.”
“Forget about second chances—this epic love story will leave you believing in third and fourth chances. Halfway to You is a beautiful exploration of the healing power of forgiveness between lovers, family, and friends. Jennifer Gold succeeds in breaking your heart before expertly putting it back together again.”
“An emotional, twisty story of love, grief, and second chances, Halfway to You asks important questions about forgiveness, fate, and family. If you’re anything like me, you’ll flip the pages quickly and shed more than a few tears as celebrated author Ann and young podcaster Maggie struggle toward heartbreaking truth.”
From Readers
“Jennifer Gold hits it out of the park.”
“This will not disappoint. Jennifer Gold is an excellent storyteller.”
“The way the story weaves together is clever and powerful, and I absolutely loved it. I was totally immersed, living alongside these characters.
Don’t miss this one. A top read of 2023.”
“I could not put this book down - I just had to keep going and find out the truth.”
“The book is truly one of a kind and I’m grateful for the experience of living inside this story. It’s exceptional.”
A note from the author
Dear Reader,
Travel is such a huge source of inspiration for me; there’s nothing like exploring a new locale, and I always find myself buzzing with creativity once I return home.
All the major locations in Halfway are places I’ve visited. My husband and I honeymooned in Greece and Italy; I taught English in Thailand; San Juan is just a few ferries from my hometown; and Tahiti, well…I scribbled down the opening to this story on a jungle tour in Tahiti (read more about this in the book’s acknowledgements!).
Long story short: this book is a bit of a tour through the past decade of my travels.
The biggest irony of this travel novel? I had just finished the first draft when the pandemic hit, and the world shut down. My eight-stop book tour for Keep Me Afloat (which released on March 3, 2020) was canceled. Halfway became a beacon of light during lockdown. I poured over old photo albums, dug through long-forgotten ephemera in my suitcase pockets, and re-read journals I’d kept throughout my travels.
It was therapeutic. I felt like I was visiting the places all over again through my memories—which is what my main character, Ann, ends up doing in the week-long podcast interview that drives the book’s plot. I spent the better part of 2020 traveling vicariously through Ann, Todd, Keith, and Maggie; these characters became my solace during a challenging year.
When I set out to write this book, I wanted to write a book about an expat. A book that explored what both physical and emotional distance can do to a relationship. I wanted to tell a sweeping love story—one that took place over decades of togetherness and distance. I had a question in mind: Why are we so resistant to vulnerability and honesty, when they in fact lead to the romance, friendships, and familial love we crave? Exploring such topics while living an isolated existence in lockdown gave me a unique perspective on my characters’ trials and tribulations. I hope this theme rings true.
On a lighter note: I hope you have as much fun following Ann across the globe as I did! I can’t wait to hear which locations are your favorites.
My heartfelt gratitude for your support of me and my books! I couldn’t live my dream of being a writer without readers like you.
Jenni
Travel Inspiration
