Journey

Another great Kathryn Mattingly novel. Vibrant emotional storytelling that really connects the reader to the characters….

…WGP Editor In Chief

Early reviews from other authors…

“Kathryn Mattingly is far more eloquent with words than I. Her latest novel, Journey (out October 1st from Winter Goose Publishing), is simply, and profoundly, damn good writing. A tragedy early on, along with a letter, provides the springboard into an emotional page-turner that finds our heroine, Kylie, challenging the life she’s been occupying against a life she could have – one she wants. Mattingly’s story of a woman refusing to be denied her chance at experiencing some semblance of motherhood draws you in and forces you to think, to feel.

This is no easy-breeze beach novel you can just flip casually through unaffected. Mattingly makes you pause, makes you wonder, makes your heart clench up, and challenges you with her characters. We feel their pain, their anger, their surprise, and can sympathize in one way or another. With Journey, Mattingly proves herself an extremely gifted storyteller fully capable of weaving difficult choices, complex emotions, and painful secrets all against the beautiful backdrops of sunny Maui.” Joseph Falank, author of Seeing, and The Painted Lady. Interview with Joseph… The journey of Journey

“Journey is about truth and lies, about relationships and life’s surprises. Reading Kathryn Mattingly’s story is like digging in a goldmine as word-by-word the reader uncovers more about what happened in the past to affect the present and shape the future of these very real and complex characters. This book makes you think. This book is what literature is all about.” Ina Schroders-Zeeders author of Veritas, Amor & Roads (Book 1 & 2) inaweblogisback.wordpress.com

“Journey is a long lost sister and a puzzle which author Kathryn Mattingly masterfully unravels as she takes us on a journey filled with interesting and powerful characters, each coping with some secret hurt which has left them running from the truth. In this fascinating story we watch these characters fragmented by grief and untold stories learn through tragedy that love can see us through the hardest times and lead us back to the source of all that is important and true in life.” Virginia A. Simpson, author of The Space Between drvirginiasimpson.com

“Kathryn Mattingly writes with an earnestness that breathes real life into the hopes and fears, triumphs and tragedies, experienced by her characters. Journey is no exception. From the devastating surprise gift of the opening chapter, readers are introduced to a heroine who is at once loving, giving, nurturing, but also wracked with helplessness and guilt. Her single-minded determination in the task she undertakes is both laudable and easy to criticize, as those around her point out, and as she herself is continuously aware. Her dilemma is one that is not easy to answer, which makes for a compelling dramatic question.

Other characters face dilemmas and difficulties of their own, enriching the central story. As real and multi-layered as the characters are, however, it is the seamless weaving of the various, disparate plot points that truly impressed and entertained me. A spread of seemingly ill-fitting pieces, reflective of reality, that came together in a strikingly smooth, organic fashion.

As one revelation after another comes to light, fostering joy and heartache in balanced measure, the story speeds toward its satisfying conclusion. Mistakes are made. Lies are birthed where others are confessed or exposed. There are no easy answers, even where it appears there should be. That level of dramatic complexity can be difficult to conceive, much less achieve. Journey has it in spades, making this heartfelt dramatic trek well worth the time it takes to unfold.” Eldon Thompson, author of the fantasy series The Legend of Asahiel eldonthompson.com

Back cover quotes…

“Mattingly deftly pulls the reader into a tale of motherhood forestalled, motherhood denied, obsession, and unlimited love that quickly builds to a complex of conflicting motives playing out against the brilliant backdrop of the Hawaiian landscape. You will care deeply about what happens to these characters.” James Benton, Award Winning author of the poetry book, SAILOR.

“This adventure-filled story of self-discovery is brought about by a letter rolled up in a chest full of memories and love…” Naima Mora Author of Model Behavior Model Behavior by Possibility Books

Excerpts from Journey…

I used to see imaginary glimpses in my mind of Journey stealing away into the night, making quick glances over her shoulder with eyes that flashed defiance. Despite her boldness of spirit on that fateful evening, the vision that often haunts me still is of a vulnerable young woman. I knew all too well what she ran away from, but what had she run away to? And what caused her untimely death?

After several minutes of endless tears washing my face in a warm salt bath I stopped rocking back and forth with Chenlei in my lap. I quit stroking her dark head of chin-chopped hair and willed myself to keep control, for the sake of my little neighbor, if not to preserve my own sanity.

“Let’s see what’s in the chest,” I said, while drying my face with the sleeves of my shirt. Chenlei stood to peer inside as I opened the lid. My sister’s scent of island flowers, often worn in her hair, mingled with the teak like an exotic perfume. I inhaled several times with closed eyes and tried to find the courage to explore her years without me.