Description

The shadow of the past is a heavy pack to carry.

Emma thought she knew what love looked like, until it turned into a cage of broken bottles and hushed threats. For months, she navigated the volatile storm of Scott's alcoholism, shrinking herself to survive. But when a desperate struggle at the top of a staircase threatened not just her life, but the life of her unborn child, she finally found the one thing Scott couldn't break: the will to run.

Now, two years later, the bruises have faded, but the internal scars are a map of a person she no longer recognizes. She is safe, but she isn't free.

Now, the only way out is through five hundred miles of wilderness.

When a friend pushes her to trade her isolation for the rugged uncertainty of the Appalachian Trail, Emma isn't looking for adventure, she's looking for herself. But the trail is unforgiving, and the echoes of Scott's voice still haunt the quiet of the woods.

Then she meets Noah. He is the polar opposite of the man who broke her—patient, steady, and dangerously kind. As Emma's physical strength grows, her emotional defenses begin to crack. For the first time, she feels the stirrings of trust, a risk she swore she'd never take again.

But when a split-second slip leaves Emma dangling over a mountain ridge, the past and present collide. With only Noah's rope between her and the abyss, Emma faces the ultimate psychological threshold: Is she defined by the man who tried to destroy her, or the woman strong enough to reach for the hand trying to save her?

Note: This novel explores themes of domestic violence, alcoholism, pregnancy termination, and suicide. And, while the main character navigates these difficult situations, it is ultimately an uplifting story focused on the journey of survival and emotional recovery.