Faye is a thirty-seven-year-old happily married mother of two young daughters. Every night, before she puts them to bed, she whispers to them: "You are good, you are kind, you are clever, you are funny." She's determined that they never doubt for a minute that their mother loves them unconditionally. After all, her own mother Jeanie had died when she was only seven years old and Faye has never gotten over that intense pain of losing her. But one day, her life is turned upside down when she finds herself in 1977, the year before her mother died. Suddenly, she has the chance to reconnect with her long-lost mother, and even meets her own younger self, a little girl she can barely remember. Jeanie doesn't recognize Faye as her daughter, of course, even though there is something eerily familiar about her...
... a magical combination of tenderness and grief starring an unforgettable protagonist ... an instantly engaging novel, with Faye addressing the reader directly, pleading for someone to believe and understand her out-of-this-world story. She is equal parts humble, vulnerable and witty, giving the book an almost conversational feel that is immediately inviting and warm. Fisher writes gorgeous, lyrical prose, and every scene is infused with magic and heart. With a skillful hand, she focuses on tiny, life-changing moments with a keen and compassionate eye, drawing natural but thought-provoking questions in a way that feels universal and timeless. You’ll have to suspend your disbelief a little, of course, but Faye’s delivery of her straight-out-of-science fiction tale is so straightforward and honest that even the more fantastical elements feel perfectly real and authentic. (I love that Fisher makes no effort to explain the science of time travel in Faye’s world. Her acceptance of the phenomenon forces the reader to follow along and, ironically, provides all the explanation you need without ever giving it) ... Fisher’s exploration of motherhood --- and the women who become our mothers --- is moving and engaging, nearly spiritual in its depth. She is careful to write every mother in her novel not as a superwoman or goddess but as a flawed, real woman who has illicit interests and makes bad mistakes but is irreplaceable in her child’s life and all-powerful in her love for that child ... Full of emotionally drawn scenes and careful ponderings about faith, spirituality and love, Faye, Faraway is riveting, surprising and deeply touching.
... gentle time-slip story ... Faye’s voice is charming, funny, sometimes philosophical and occasionally digressive. Her first-person perspective is in direct conversation with the reader, asking us if we’re still with her and assuring us that she understands if we’re not. Faye, Faraway is a welcome escape.
... a warm, witty, wholehearted glimpse inside a parallel universe. Genuine and touching, Fisher’s narrative voice will appeal to fans of Kelly Harms, Lia Louis, and Julie Valerie. Exploring the power of believing in the impossible, Faye, Faraway is a delight.
