The Valley Between Us

Description

This gripping debut novel follows two women—a young Soviet college student whose life is upended by the ancient practice of bride kidnapping, and a millennial American bound by her crippling sensory processing issues—and weaves their stories together in a riveting tale of love and resilience.

1991: The Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse and the country of Georgia is impoverished and riddled with crime and corruption. 20 year-old Dina is trying to navigate university and a relationship with her best friend Nika when she comes face-to-face with the ancient Caucasus tradition of bride kidnapping. The life she had planned is torn out from under her feet and she is forced to dig deep inside to find the strength to survive her new harsh reality.

2018: Callie keeps her life as predictable and organized as possible—Dr. Paekl says that’s the best way to keep a handle on her sensory processing issues. And Callie always listens to Dr. Paekl. So, no surprises—daily run in Golden Gate Park at 6:20 am, oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, the thermostat always set at exactly 68 degrees. But a break-up with her long-time boyfriend and frustration in her high-stress job pushes her to do something uncharacteristically risky—take a leave of absence from work and travel to Georgia for a three-month internship at a mountain guesthouse. What she thinks will be merely a summer adventure ends up completely shifting her world, making her reexamine who she is, what she believes, and who she loves. While at the guesthouse, Callie uncovers a shocking family secret that could bring everything crumbling down around her.

The Valley Between Us is a heart-wrenching tale of two very different women who fight to find their paths in a world where the odds are stacked against them. It is a story of deep friendships, faith, first loves, trauma, and, ultimately, healing. Fans of The Nightingale or All the Light We Cannot See will be captivated by this powerful story.