Woman of Valor by Lynne Golodner

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Sally Sterling never intended to embrace the Judaism of her ancestors, but after her first love and Catholic college sweetheart broke her heart, the surprising salve for her sadness appears when she stumbles into the Orthodox community of Skokie, Illinois. Ten years later, Sally is a mother of three, married to Barry Lieberman, the love of her life, and enamored with the routine and beauty of her religious lifestyle. But when her eldest son suffers abuse at school, she is jarred by her husband’s response. And that’s exactly when her lost college love finds her online, providing a convenient escape from her troubles. Suddenly, everything is falling apart, and Sally can’t find any reprieve, or resolution – not even hitting the trails for her favorite runs along Lake Michigan. Will she lose the happy life she’s worked so hard to build, or could this shakeup be just what she needs to finally define her life for herself? Woman of Valor is a story about the courage to love the ordinary and seek satisfaction where you are, while shedding the need to please others.

The book’s page on the author’s site.

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR WOMAN OF VALOR

“Golodner is a wonderful writer who tackles tough subjects with sensitivity and wit while delivering a heartfelt, satisfying read.”
Rochelle B. Weinstein, Bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends

“Lynne Golodner has written a brave heroine who inhabited two worlds and ultimately chooses the one readers least expect — but where there is symmetry and beauty in rules and tradition.”
Nancy Sharp, author of Both Sides Now

“Woman of Valor tells an important contemporary story of faith, love, devotion and self-determination.”
Barbara Stark-Nemon, author of Even in Darkness & Hard Cider

“A deeply relatable tale in an intriguing setting.”
Tammy Pasterick, author of Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynne Golodner is the author of two poetry collections and six nonfiction books, including Hide and Seek: Jewish women and hair covering and The Flavors of Faith: Holy Breads. WOMAN OF VALOR is her first novel. A former Fulbright specialist, she is a writing coach, marketing entrepreneur and host of the Make Meaning Podcast, and her creative nonfiction has been published around the world. With a BA from University of Michigan and an MFA from Goddard College, Lynne is the mother of four and lives in Huntington Woods, Michigan, with her husband, Dan. Lynne teaches writing and leads writers retreats around the world, devoting half of every day to writing. She is at work on her next novel. Learn more at https://lynnegolodner.com.

After spending a decade in the Orthodox Jewish community, Lynne Golodner was delighted to write a compelling story about a woman who chooses a religious lifestyle, faces challenges in her chosen community, and transcends the pettiness that people sometimes bring to beautiful traditions to find her own fulfilling way to live, love and parent.

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Year first published: 2023