The Marriage Sabbatical is the story of Nicole and Jason who after twenty three years of building a life together, raising a family, and working hard in careers, find themselves at a crossroads. After a profound loss Jason decides to take a year off, sublet their home, and plans a largely off grid travel itinerary. As the day draws closer Nicole is less sure she wants to go. An unconventional agreement is made. Jason will take the trip he dreamed of, Nicole will go to Santa Fe to learn jewelry making. They institute the ‘500 mile rule’, a ‘what happens while we’re gone stays there’ policy.

Dolan does an amazing job taking us back in time to when Nicole and Jason first met, through compromises, struggles, celebrations, and loss, giving us strong insight into how they got where they are, what each may be seeking, and if they truly intend (or should) return to one another. We watch as they travel, transform, and struggle with the decision to partner with someone else. I especially loved Nicole’s Santa Fe setting, a city I adore. Dolan brings us into the local art culture, the community traditions, and we feel less a visitor and more a newly welcomed resident.

My very dear friend, Angie, is a creative that lives in Santa Fe. She’s an artist, jewelry designer, and author. Angie’s journey mirrors the main character Nicole’s, coming to the SW for rebirth, reinvention, finding her passion later in life. I was living vicariously through the main character, Nicole as she spread her wings in Santa Fe.

I highly recommend for lovers of her previous books, those that appreciate smart, thoughtful women’s fiction, and what to travel vicariously to the desert SW. If you haven’t read her previous books The Sweeney Sisters and Lost and Found In Paris I highly recommend as well!

I received an early copy from my friends at William Morrow. ( )