She Was

From the author of the acclaimed novel The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn comes a spellbinding story of a woman whose hidden past finally catches up with her.

"Timely and marvelous. She Was sheds fresh light on the lingering effects of war, on the way our past always lives with us, ready to detonate. Janis Hallowell has crafted a brave, beautiful, and ultimately life-affirming novel that reveals how deeply the personal and political intertwine." -- Gayle Brandeis,, author of The Book of Dead Birds and Self Storage

"In her haunting, lyrical second novel, Janis Hallowell masterfully illustrates what happens when the heady, reckless idealism of youth goes awry. Exquisitely crafted." -- Elisabeth Hyde, author of The Abortionist's Daughter

“Twenty-one of us have been in this book club for the last five years. SHE WAS by Janis Hallowell, is the first book that everyone loved, hands down!"
--Annie Stoecker, book club member

"Reading She Was was like listening to an old Beatles song and realizing that I'd never really heard the words before."
--Kristena Prater, book club member

“This story is ideal for book clubs since there's enough "grays" in the story to invite lively debate!”
--Kathy Fone, book club member

“[She Was] touches on a deep-set fear that is familiar to many: If we cannot banish the past, how can we reconcile it without sacrificing who we have become? In this ambitious and plain-spoken novel, Janis Hallowell's characters grapple with [this] question with both honesty and dignity.”
--Hillary Kaplan, book club member