Though I studied nonfiction in graduate school and am still dedicated to the craft of the essay, reading novels has always been my first love in literature. After earnig my MFA, I began a draft of a novel about family and place. Born from the seed of a dream I had while travelling cross-country with my husband to visit his ailing mother, this story has grown from an image of a barn in flames to an extended narrative that follows three main characters on their journeys towards creating a place to call their own. What started as a diversion from my "real" work in nonfiction has evolved into my largest creative endeavor.