Fly Away Home

"Clean freak" Maggie tries so hard to keep her life in order but is foiled at every turn. The descendent of second generation Norwegian immigrants to America, she grows up in New Jersey, spending her summer vacations on an idyllic island in Norway. Later, in the wake of an abusive marriage, she and her three young children leave America and return to the Nordic Island of her ancestors, where she rekindles a relationship with her childhood sweetheart. Pulled between two worlds, her life continues as she seeks meaning, identity and happiness. With her true love by her side and three more children to care for, Maggie discovers her traveling days are far from over. Life"s unexpected twists see her return to America before being catapulted to the Netherlands. At last she can begin to make sense of her experiences until, that is, she is on the move again. In the process she learns that life comes full circle, from the hopes and dreams of her forebears to the place where she can finally find peace and come to terms with her past. Follow this Jersey girl as she flies back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean looking for love and a place to call home. "A heartfelt book that covers the push-pull effect of growing up in two cultures and related with searing honesty." Apple Gidley, author of Expat Life, Slice by Slice www.expatapple.com "The open, honest and heartfelt reminiscences of a New Jersey girl faced with the challenges and delights of a multicultural family." Carla Walker, AWC Book Club, The Hague "Written with candour, a philosophical approach, and a love for places and people." Laura J Stephens, author of Lone Star State: an Inconvenient Posting, an expat wife"s memoir of lost identity. "Maggie"s living the "American Dream" until it turns into an "American Nightmare". This heartfelt book welcomes us into her home, in three different countries." Barbara S. Baron, Professor Brookdale Community College, NJ www.brookdalecc.edu