The Speed of Light

A Novel

by Elissa Grossell Dickey

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Pub Date Mar 01 2021 | Archive Date Mar 15 2021

Lake Union Publishing

General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction

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Description

A compelling and provocative debut novel told in intersecting timelines over a tumultuous, defining year in one woman’s life.

Simone is trying her best not to think of what she’s lost. Diagnosed with MS, she awaits the results of another anxiety-inducing MRI. She’s just walked away from Connor, “a fixer” but possibly the love of her life. And nearing the holidays, the sights and sounds of winter in South Dakota only prick memories of better years gone by. Then, on a December morning at the university where she works, jarring gunshots pierce the halls. In a temporary safe place and terrified, Simone listens and pretends this will all be over soon.

As she waits for silence, her mind racing, Simone’s past year comes into focus. Falling in love and missing it. Finding strength in family and enduring friendships. Planning for the future, fearing it, and hoping against hope in dark places. Her life has been changing at the speed of light, and each crossroad brought Simone here, to this day, to endure the things she can’t control and to confront those that she can.

A compelling and provocative debut novel told in intersecting timelines over a tumultuous, defining year in one woman’s life.

Simone is trying her best not to think of what she’s lost. Diagnosed with...

A Note From the Publisher

Elissa Grossell Dickey is a former journalist who now works in higher education communications. Stories have always been a big part of Elissa’s life—from getting lost in a book as a child to now reading bedtime stories to her kids. As a columnist for the National MS Society, Elissa shares her personal journey of living with multiple sclerosis. Though she grew up among the lakes and trees of northern Minnesota, Elissa now lives on the South Dakota prairie with her husband and children. The Speed of Light is her first novel. For information, visit www.elissaadickey.wordpress.com.

Advance Praise

“Thrilling as it is heart-felt, The Speed of Light drew me in from the first page. While its newly-diagnosed heroine struggles with life’s unexpected twists, Dickey delivers a story about family, friendship, and the kind of love that truly makes us feel seen.” —Elle Marr, bestselling author of The Missing Sister

“Compellingly readable, Elissa Grossell Dickey’s The Speed of Light takes readers on a harrowing journey through the storm that is Simone Archer’s life, starting with her diagnosis of an unpredictable, incurable illness. With the stakes high, the wry and quick-witted Simone discovers hidden inner strength that drives her forward even as she comes face-to-face with her own mortality. The Speed of Light is a suspenseful tale about overcoming illness and fear, and discovering the untapped powers we have within ourselves.” —Meredith O’Brien, author of four books including Uncomfortably Numb: A Memoir

“The Speed of Light is a gripping page-turner, infused with a compassionate and insightful look at chronic illness.” —Kimmery Martin, bestselling author of The Queen of Hearts