Frank Carlson Library

Like many others, around the time Elizabeth Gilbert turned 30, she went through an early-onslaught midlife crisis. Although she had everything an educated, ambitious American woman was supposed to want, including a husband, a home, and a successful career as a magazine writer, she was consumed with panic, grief, and confusion. This is an account of her yearlong worldwide pursuit of pleasure, spiritual devotion, guidance, and what she really wanted...

"Rosie Hopkins's has a comfortable life--until she goes to the country to care for her ailing great aunt Lilian and her old-fashioned sweetshop. As Rosie gets Lilian back on her feet, breathes new life into the shop, and gets to know the mysterious and solitary Stephen, she doesn't want to settle for comfortable"--

Willa has never fully recovered from the sudden death of her husband, Ben. She became an absent mother to her young son, Jamie, unable to comfort him while reeling from her own grief. Now, years after Ben's death, Willa finally decides to return to the beach house where he passed. It's time to move on and put the Ocean City, Maryland house on the market. When Willa arrives, the house is in worse shape than she could have imagined, and the memories...

"Bess Culpepper has long been sure of two things - that her group of college friends would stay close, and that love is worth the wait. At forty-two, she's found the right man, and she's celebrating her upcoming wedding by inviting her best friends to beautiful Kennebunkport. Bess has always been at the helm of these reunions, herding everyone together despite distance and outside commitments. As usual, Marta and Mike journey from their home near...

"An utterly heartwarming debut novel filled with fresh starts, unexpected love, and Scottish charm, perfect for readers of Evvie Drake Starts Over. Thea Mottram is having a bad month. Her husband of nearly twenty years has just left her for one of her friends, and to top it off, she is let go from her office job--on Valentine's Day, of all days. Bewildered and completely lost, Thea doesn't know what to do. But when she learns that a distant great...

"American chef Georgia May Jackson has one goal -- to run her own restaurant in Paris. After a grueling decade working in Parisian kitchens, she is on the cusp of success. But in one disastrous night, Georgia loses her sous-chef position, her French boyfriend, and her sense of taste! Renowned for her refined palate and daring use of bold flavors to create remarkable dishes, Georgia is devastated to discover her culinary gift has simply . . . vanished....