Being a mother isn't easy, especially when you never wanted to be one. Nora became a wife and mother at age eighteen, long before she planned. Now she finds that fulfilling society's expectations in a rapidly changing world is much more difficult than she ever anticipated.
After losing a friend to domestic violence, Nora helps start a shelter to protect other women, and she struggles to balance her passionate activism with her duties as a parent.
As she deals with constant guilt and confusion from conflicting priorities, Nora discovers the solace and support that only good friends can provide. They add the love and balance that she needs after her marriage ends. When her daughter gives birth to a baby girl, Nora becomes a grandmother and finds more joy and wonder than she ever dreamed possible.
Nora's mid-life takes some interesting turns when unexpected romantic relationships add a satisfaction that she couldn't have predicted. In a story that encompasses three generations of intelligent and strong-willed women, Nora realizes that there are many different ways for a woman to build a life on her own terms.
The Life That She Wanted is a thought-provoking novel, a complex portrait of motherhood, friendship, family, love, and ambition.
"The best way to learn history is to watch as someone walks through it, experiencing it for the first time. That's exactly what we get to do as we watch Nora move through the pages of The Life That She Wanted. Witnessing Nora's growth, in strength, independence, and confidence, makes the reader want to cheer. We see hills and valleys, falls and climbs… and through it all, we see the life of one memorable woman."
Kathie Giorgio, author of Hope Always Rises and Don't Let Me Keep You
"In most novels, the protagonist's life changes in some way. But in Alice Benson's newest novel, The Life That She Wanted, the change is so dramatic, you feel you changed as well. When you're ready to read about a woman who learns how to take control of her own life, pick this."
Scott Blanke, MD., author of Through The Gates of Hell
