Todd Johnson’s debut novel, The Sweet By and By, will be published by William Morrow in March 2009. It is the story of four women who might not ever have met had it not been for aging and illness.
The two older women, Margaret Clayton and Bernice Stokes, meet in an elder care home in North Carolina. These two ladies are decidedly different in many ways, but become good friends. One of their nurses, Lorraine, looks after them in special ways. She understands that Bernice has left the real world and lives only in her mind. She knows that Margaret is still sharp as a tack, but is becoming physically frail.
Rhonda is the hairdresser who comes on Sundays, her only day off from her full-time salon job. She doesn’t work on the ladies in the home because of the money. She does it because she understands that having a regular hair appointment makes them feel good. It gives them a reason to get up on Sundays and it gives them something to look forward to the next Sunday.
By and by, we find out about each of these women and their pasts. And, we learn how in the face of hardships, how each one has coped. Stories of friendship have been told by many writers, in many ways, but Johnson has given his ladies very distinctive voices to tell their stories their way.
To request a galley copy of this novel, contact Tavia Kowalchuk at Tavia.Kowalchuk@HARPERCOLLINS.com.
Galley Call by Reeden Wright
Â
#1 by Todd Johnson on November 5, 2008 - 8:51 pm
Thank you, SIBA! It was my first time, and I loved it. I especially appreciate all the kind words I’ve received about THE SWEET BY AND BY. You really know how to make writers feel welcome!! All my best, Todd