The Promised Land
series: Swan House Series, The
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About
You'd be surprised at what gets through when everything else is taken away.
Abbie Jowett always has every detail perfectly planned out, including her husband's upcoming surprise fiftieth birthday party. But when he surprises her instead with news that he's leaving, she feels her life unraveling. Already distressed by her son Bobby's determination to take a gap year in Europe in addition to her father's failing health, Abbie is immobilized by grief.
Bobby Jowett has dared to take a gap year to really think about his future. His first stop is volunteering at a refugee center in Austria where he meets a beautiful Iranian girl named Rasa. For idealistic Bobby, it is love at first sight. On the spur of the moment, he invites her to join him in hiking the famed French Camino. But his mother, out of desperation, has also chosen to follow him to France.
Caroline Lefort, a young photojournalist, is writing an article about pilgrims on the Camino. However, she has been like a wandering pilgrim herself for the past ten years, having abandoned her family after a devastating event.
As the lives of these people intersect, they find that the Camino strips them bare, calling each one into deep soul-searching. Against all odds, can they find themselves again?
"The Promised Land is a captivating tale of pilgrimage; Musser expertly navigates the complex landscape of loss while pointing the way to redemption and hope."--SHARON GARLOUGH BROWN, author of the Sensible Shoes Series
"Characters from Musser's The Long Highway Home return in this touching story of four pilgrims walking the French Camino. . . . While this works as a standalone, readers will only fully appreciate the arc of the characters if they've read The Long Highway Home. Karen Kingsbury fans will want to take a look."--Publishers Weekly
"There is a lot going on in this book, including an unusual plot and strong characterization. Faith elements are interwoven in a subtle but clear way. Fans of Michele Phoenix and Lauren K. Denton will appreciate this distinctive story of the human journey."--Library Journal
Endorsements
"Elizabeth Musser steals our hearts again. With prose that carries us to the edge of our soul, The Promised Land follows three pilgrims whose lives intersect on the famed Camino, asking the important questions: When do we let go of our best laid plans to discover a bigger and richer life? Who do we become when everything has been taken away? With a dash of mystery and tremendous depth, Musser fills the lush landscape of The Promised Land with vivid characters and masterful storytelling."
Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis
"Elizabeth Musser's novel The Promised Land transported me on two very memorable journeys. First, I savored the sights, smells, and tastes of France as I hiked the Camino with her unique characters. Second, was the touching journey of spiritual transformation these three pilgrims uncovered on their trek. So satisfying!"
Lynn Austin, bestselling author of If I Were You
"The Promised Land is a captivating tale of pilgrimage not only along the rigorous way of the Camino but also through an equally rigorous exploration of the soul. Through the journeys of three broken and wounded pilgrims, Elizabeth Musser expertly navigates the complex landscape of captivity and loss, while pointing the way to redemption and hope."
Sharon Garlough Brown, author of the Sensible Shoes Series
"What an intriguing journey Elizabeth Musser has taken us on in The Promised Land! She painted, with words, such evocative images, tastes, smells, and sounds that I felt as if I'd walked my own Camino pilgrimage along with Abbie, Bobby, and Caro. This engrossing, beautiful story kept me guessing through smiles and tears and did not disappoint in the end."
Deborah Raney, author of The Chandler Sisters series
"In straightforward but agile narration, the novel explores how pathways, between strangers, between generations, can sometimes converge in unlikely places. The result is a quiet marvel of grace. Musser draws subtle connections between the characters' lives in Atlanta and what they find in France--the Beltline as its own sort of French Camino--and uses those connections to weave a beautiful, heartfelt portrait of what it means to be a Georgian, a Southerner, an American, and, most importantly, a person in the world."
Snowden White, judge for Georgia Author of the Year
The Author
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Katie Musser Elizabeth Musser
Elizabeth Musser writes "entertainment with a soul" from her writing chalet (a toolshed) outside Lyon, France. A Carol Award winner and Christy Award and Georgia Author of the Year finalist, Elizabeth's critically acclaimed novels have been...
Continue reading about Elizabeth Musser
Reviews
"Characters from Musser's The Long Highway Home return in this touching story of four pilgrims walking the French Camino. . . . While this works as a standalone, readers will only fully appreciate the arc of the characters if they've read The Long Highway Home. Karen Kingsbury fans will want to take a look"
Publishers Weekly
"There is a lot going on in this book, including an unusual plot and strong characterization. Faith elements are interwoven in a subtle but clear way. Fans of Michele Phoenix and Lauren K. Denton will appreciate this distinctive story of the human journey."
Library Journal