An Unfinished Story: A Novel,

by Boo Walker

Publication: Lake Union Publishing; August 4, 2020

unfinished About:

A grieving widow and a disenchanted writer form an unexpected bond in a novel about second chances and finding the courage to let go of the past.

It’s been three years since Claire Kite lost her husband, David, an aspiring novelist, in a tragic car accident. Claire finally finds the courage to move on; then she discovers among the remnants of her shattered world her husband’s last manuscript. It’s intimate, stirring—and unfinished. An idea comes to her…What if she can find someone to give David’s novel the ending it deserves?

Whitaker Grant is famous for his one and only bestselling novel—a masterpiece that became a hit film. But after being crippled by the pressure of success and his failed marriage, Whitaker retreated from the public eye in his native St. Petersburg, Florida. Years later, he’s struggling through a deep midlife crisis. Until he receives an intriguing request from a lonely widow. To honor David’s story, Whitaker must understand, heart and soul, the man who wrote it and the woman he left behind.

There’s more to the novel than anyone dreamed. Something personal. Something true. Maybe, in bringing a chapter of David’s life to a close, Claire and Whitaker can find hope for a new beginning.

My Review

At 8:00 am this morning I set down with a cup of coffee in one hand and “An Unfinished Story” open on my iPad. Four hours later and I am completely in awe of this novel and this (new-to-me) author. Claire is a widow who lost her husband three years earlier and Whitaker is a once-famous author that is now divorced and hasn’t written anything since his one bestseller. Claire is finally cleaning out her late husband’s desk when she comes across a novel he was working on when he died. After much back and forth, Claire convinces Whitaker to read it, and then to finish David’s novel. As they work together on David’s story, everything in their lives begins to change for the better and they make countless discoveries about themselves and David along the way.

I will admit that it took me a little bit to warm up to both Claire and Whitaker, however, they ended up being two of the most incredible characters I have read about. Of course, Claire was dealing with a million issues stemming from the loss of her husband and how to move forward. But what really stole the show was Whitaker’s transformation between the beginning and the ending. Whether it was his physical appearance, the state of his home, or relationships with others – this character completely blossomed and it was a beautiful thing to see.

I won’t lie and say that the ending wasn’t a bit predictable, but I did not care in the least. This entire novel is a love letter to second chances, eye-opening experiences, and finding peace and happiness from unexpected sources. Walker focuses on divorce, death, grief, the foster system, depression, loneliness, hope, love, and so much more that I can’t properly sum up the themes of this novel here. I am so incredibly happy to have discovered this novel and this author. This is without a doubt in my top 3 reads of the year and I believe I’ve read over 250 books this year. An Unfinished Story is a novel that I will read again and will think about for some time.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.