Mend

The Mend is an 81,000-word novel about Joe Barden, who loses his wife, Jody. With her passing, he loses his identity. Jody's last gift to Joe was a fly fishing reel in an unmarked box with a simple note urging him to find a way to mend his heart. His grief nearly swallows him until he finally follows the urging of her message. Reconnecting to fly fishing leads Joe on a journey where he connects to the past in an unexpected and complicated way. He hopes standing in the flow of a river and turning over rocks will help him find his footing again.