Ordinary World — Elisa Lorello

Four little words. That's all it took. Just four words to turn Andi Vanzant's world upside down. Until then, Andi thought her life was perfect: married to an adoring man, recently tenured at Northampton University, and a published author. But when her husband is killed by a drunk driver just blocks from their home, his death plunges Andi into a grief from which she cannot imagine ever surfacing. Her family and friends do their best to help her pick up the pieces, but nothing they do or say will ever bring back what Andi lost that night. Andi's widowed mother advocates stoicism, her best friend Maggie is frustrated that Andi is not trying harder to rally from her loss, and Andi's therapist encourages her to heal unresolved issues. Despite their efforts, she is resistant to any and all advice. When an unexpected reunion renews an old friendship, Andi sees signs of hope that someday she can be happy again. She begins to take tentative steps toward starting over, daring to live a life different from the one she'd always envisioned.