No River Too Wide (Goddesses Anonymous) (English Edition)
For decades, Jan Stoddard has been physically and emotionally abused by her husband, Rex, a pillar of their Topeka religious and business community.  Finally, summoning unimagined courage, Jan quietly works with an aid organization to plan her escape, but on the very night she hopes to flee, a fire destroys the family’s home.  Out of town that night, Rex remains  unaccounted for, while Jan manages to travel to Asheville and a surprise reunion with the daughter who was banished years before.  With help from daughter Harmony’s friend Taylor, Jan makes a new home—one, however, that may be threatened by a new man in Taylor’s life.  Always alert to the possibility that Rex will track her down, Jan is unprepared for the news of his death and subsequent accusations that she is guilty of murder and insurance fraud.  Portraying the uncomfortable subject of domestic abuse with unflinching thoroughness and tender understanding, Richards’ (Somewhere between Luck and Trust, 2013) third installment in the Goddesses Anonymous series offers important insights into a far too prevalent social problem. --Carol Haggas