New Life, No Instructions: A Memoir,New

The Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author of Lets Take the Long Way Home now gives us a stunning, exquisitely written memoir about a dramatic turning point in her life, which unexpectedly opened up a world of understanding, possibility, and connection. New Life, No Instructions is about the surprising way life can begin again, at any age.Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Readers Circle for author chats and more.What do you do when the story changes in midlife? When a tale you have told yourself turns out to be a little untrue, just enough to throw the world offkilter? Its like leaving the train at the wrong stop: You are still you, but in a new place, there by accident or grace, and you will need your wits about you to proceed.Any change that matters, or takes, begins as immeasurably small. Then it accumulates, moss on stone, and after a few thousand years of not interfering, you have a glen, or a waterfall, or a field of hope where sorrow used to be.I suppose all of us consider our loved ones extraordinary; that is one of the elixirs of attachment. But over the months of pain and disrepair of that winter, I felt something that made the grimness tolerable: I felt blessed by the tribe I was part of. Here I was, supposedly solo, and the real truth was that I had a force field of connection surrounding me.Most of all I told this story because I wanted to say something about hope and the absence of it, and how we keep going anyway. About second chances, and how theyre sometimes buried amid the dross, even when youre poised for the downhill grade. The narrative can always turn out to be a different story from what you expected.Praise for New Life, No InstructionsBrimming with insights and wisdom . . . As far as Im concerned, Caldwell can write about whatever she pleases. . . . Unabashed dispatches from lifelong single women are a fairly recent phenomenon. Caldwell has so much more to teach us.Kate Bolick, The New York Times Book ReviewGail Caldwell offers the kind of wisdom and grace youd wish a friend, sister, or mother might deliver. . . . Fans and new readers alike will find comfort in Caldwells voice.The Boston GlobeQuiet but powerful . . . an absorbing meditation on grief and rebirth in midlife.MoreEloquent and uplifting . . . [a story] to inspire you.Good HousekeepingGraceful and reflective.USA Today[Caldwell] confronts, with pluck and fortitude, the hurdles that life throws her way.Publishers WeeklyAn uplifting journey . . . This book celebrates finding support where you least expect it.Womans Day[A] beautifully written memoir.Parade[A] thoughtful, wideeyed view of the world . . . [Caldwell] ably explores the shifts of our hearts.Kirkus ReviewsGetting old, as they say, is not for sissies, and no one would call Pulitzer Prizewinner Caldwell a wimp. . . . There may not have been a road map for the lifechanging trip [she] was about to take, but . . . Caldwell realized she had the power to endure.Booklist