AUSTINTOWN, Ohio – “Transforming Tessa,” the 11th book by Austintown-based novelist Nancy Christie, will be released May 3.
“Transforming Tessa” is the fourth book in Christie’s Midlife Moxie series, which focuses on older women overcoming problems caused by life changes.
It will be available in eBook format and as a trade paperback. It can be preordered HERE.
The lead character is 65-year-old Tessa Adams, who has been struggling since the death of her husband, Jack.
Uncertain as to who she is now that she is no longer part of a couple, and trapped in her grief, Tessa is unable to imagine a life that offers happiness and fulfillment.
Complicating matters are the marital problems between Tessa’s daughter, Gwen, and her husband, Matt – new parents to twin boys. Unsure if or how to help, Tessa tries to remain neutral. But escalating tensions result in an argument between mother and daughter, after which Gwen makes it clear to Tessa that she is no longer welcome in her life, effectively keeping her from her grandsons as well.
Cut off from the only family she has left, Tessa gradually begins to rebuild her life and make new friends. She finds herself offering encouragement and support to the women she comes to know, including recently divorced 60-year-old Deanna and Juliana, a young mother trying to escape from her abuser. But will Tessa be able to overcome her own fears and build a new future for herself?
“Transforming Tessa” explores the range of emotions a woman goes through when a relationship ends,” Christie said. “In Tessa’s case, the death of her husband, while expected, still left her reeling, unsure how to deal with the overwhelming loneliness. Her whole identity was that of a wife and mother, and the loss of her husband, combined with her daughter’s rejection, has left Tessa uncertain who she is supposed to be and what she is supposed to do with the rest of her life. The novel is about her journey through grief as she faces setbacks and ordeals that force her to confront her own fears and self-doubt.”
The novel joins Christie’s body of work, which includes “Reinventing Rita,” “Finding Fran” and “Moving Maggie” (the first three books in her Midlife Moxie series), four short fiction collections (“The Language of Love and Other Stories,” “Mistletoe Magic and Other Holiday Tales,” “Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories” and “Peripheral Visions and Other Stories”), two books for writers (“Rut-Busting Book for Writers” and “Rut-Busting Book for Authors”) and an essay collection.