«The Stone Necklace» by Carla Damron

A car crash takes one life and changes the destiny of four others in this “deftly written, moving novel about picking up the pieces after great loss” (Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation).Winner of the 2017 STAR AWARD from the Women’s Fiction Writers AssociationThe Stone Necklace braids together the stories of a grieving widow, a struggling nurse, a young mother, and a troubled homeless man, reminding us of the empowering and surprising ways our lives touch one another. Lena Hastings survived breast cancer and marital infidelity but now faces an uncertain future without the support of the one person she has always counted on. Intensive care nurse Sandy Albright, newly released from drug rehab, confronts temptations from her past and false accusations that threaten her career. Tonya Ladson, a mother whose child is injured in a car wreck, must decide if a lawsuit will solve her problems. Joe Booker, a homeless man, loses his gentle benefactor and must either succumb to the evils of his world or find the courage to care for himself. Weighted down by their respective pasts, the characters must make life-altering choices that reverberate into the fates of the others, ultimately bringing them together in unexpected but healing acts of compassion, forgiveness, and redemption.Foreword by New York Times bestselling novelist Patti Callahan Henry.