She Was - by Janis Hallowell (Paperback)

About the Book

In her haunting, lyrical second novel, Janis Hallowell masterfully illustrates what happens when the heady, reckless idealism of youth goes awry--Elisabeth Hyde, author of "The Abortionist's Daughter."

From the Back Cover

Doreen Woods lives an ordinary life. She is a respected dentist, her son has just graduated from high school, and her husband teaches fifth grade. The one flaw is that her brother, Adam, has MS. Even that isn't all that extraordinary. . . . Then, out of nowhere, Janey Marks shows up, bringing the past with her.

In 1971 Doreen was young, idealistic Lucy Johansson. Adam was back from Vietnam, damaged and bitter. Caught up in the anti-war movement Lucy committed a crime that changed everything for both of them.

She Was spans America, coast to coast, over four decades, to give us the story of one young woman who, like many of her generation, tried to change the world and how, thirty-four years later, in a world that still needs changing, she must pay the consequences.

Review Quotes

"Hallowell's text... is razor sharp.... And few writers could match her depiction of Adam's battle with multiple sclerosis....SHE WAS sustains a steady level of suspense for such a character-driven piece." - Sunday Denver Post on SHE WAS
"Hallowell writes with great compassion about the heart of the heart of our country and of our culture. . . . She Was is one of the best novels I have read in years." - John Nichols, author of The Milago Beanfield War and The Empanada Brotherhood John Nichols, author of The Milago Beanfield War and The Empanada Brotherhood John Nichols, author of The Milago Beanfield War and The Empanada Brotherhood John Nichols, author of The Milago Beanfield War and The Empanada Brotherhood John Nichols, author of The Milago Beanfield War and The Empanada Brotherhood John Nichols, author of The Milago Beanfield War and The Empanada Brotherhood on SHE WAS
"A page-turning trek . . . [that] offers you plenty to think about without telling you what to think." - Feminist Review on SHE WAS
"[S]pellbinding...evokes pathos without being sentimental...It's a story set in the turbulent, emotional times of the Vietnam war. The beliefs of sons and daughters are set against the values of their own parents as American living rooms became increasingly hostile places. [P]owerful...harrowing." - Kash's Book Corner on SHE WAS
"Readers will find this book's themes relevant in a post-9/11 world . . . She Was presents a powerful message about the impact of war on a woman and her family." - Rocky Mountain News on SHE WAS