The States - by Norah Woodsey (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An inventive novel about wishes and regret. - Kirkus Reviews

Tildy Sullivan is the middle child in an elite yet fading Manhattan family. Her quiet practicality hides her deep, profound longing for childhood summers in western Ireland. She also carries a secret regret. Eight years ago, after her mother's death, she was persuaded to abandon Ireland and the love of a local boy. She now believes happiness is lost to her.

When she volunteers for a lucid dreaming experiment, she thinks she can have all she wants - a life lived for her family during the day and a secret Ireland of her own at night. But she must choose - will she face reality, or succumb to the ease of her dreams?

THE STATES is a reimagining of Jane Austen's Persuasion - a story of love, obligation, and second chances.

Review Quotes

"A beautiful and thoughtful modernization of Jane Austen's Persuasion that explores a modern heroine's discovery of the difference between fantasy and agency." - IndieReader

"An inventive novel about wishes and regret." - Kirkus

"Woodsey's writing style is engaging, and her characters are relatable, making the book a joy to read from start to finish." - Suzie Housley, Midwest Book Review

"Eloquent and alluring, The States is a novel in which dreams crash into lived realities." - Foreword Reviews