The World Against Her Skin

An “incredibly compelling book”
The US Review of Books

“A rousing portrait of a brave, imperfect woman”
BookLife

Virginia Thorndike leaves her husband of 22 years for a younger man. Only weeks later, he abandons her. She fights to keep working as a doctor, and to stay close to her grown sons, but guilt and grief often overwhelm her. In this biographical novel, written by her older son, much is remembered and much imagined.

“A brave, relentless, and haunting tale”
Lady Borton, author of Sensing The Enemy

“Amazingly intimate, compassionate, and gripping”
Robert Wilder, author of Nickel

“The story of a woman consumed by a passion she did not fully understand”
Raul Ramos, author of Mustang to Paducah

“A strong, beautifully written, heartfelt, and sometimes spiky novel”
Juliet Wittman, author of Again and Again

Virginia flies to Miami to start living with Rich Villamano, but there he tells her he has changed his mind and they must go their own ways. In an instant their four-year affair is over. She takes off in his car, heading north with no luggage, hope or destination. She buys a bottle of gin and drinks it straight. Afraid that she’ll kill herself or someone else on the road, she abandons the car, flies to New York and takes an airport hotel room. She has no home and nowhere to go.

“Masterful...inviting...thought-provoking”
Midwest Book Review