Three generations of women—and the love, loss, sacrifice, and secrets that can bind them forever or tear them apart.
Millicent Glenn is self-sufficient and contentedly alone in the Cincinnati suburbs. As she nears her ninety-first birthday, her daughter Jane, with whom she’s weathered a shaky relationship, suddenly moves back home. Then Millie’s granddaughter shares the thrilling surprise that she’s pregnant. But for Millie, the news stirs heartbreaking memories of a past she’s kept hidden for too long. Maybe it’s time she shared something, too. Millie’s last wish? For Jane to forgive her.
Sixty years ago Millie was living a dream. She had a husband she adored, a job of her own, a precious baby girl, and another child on the way. They were the perfect family. All it took was one irreversible moment to shatter everything, reshaping Millie’s life and the lives of generations to come.
As Millie’s old wounds are exposed, so are the secrets she’s kept for so long. Finally revealing them to her daughter might be the greatest risk a mother could take in the name of love.
Genre: Historical
Millicent Glenn is self-sufficient and contentedly alone in the Cincinnati suburbs. As she nears her ninety-first birthday, her daughter Jane, with whom she’s weathered a shaky relationship, suddenly moves back home. Then Millie’s granddaughter shares the thrilling surprise that she’s pregnant. But for Millie, the news stirs heartbreaking memories of a past she’s kept hidden for too long. Maybe it’s time she shared something, too. Millie’s last wish? For Jane to forgive her.
Sixty years ago Millie was living a dream. She had a husband she adored, a job of her own, a precious baby girl, and another child on the way. They were the perfect family. All it took was one irreversible moment to shatter everything, reshaping Millie’s life and the lives of generations to come.
As Millie’s old wounds are exposed, so are the secrets she’s kept for so long. Finally revealing them to her daughter might be the greatest risk a mother could take in the name of love.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"A novel about the legacies women pass to their daughters—and the price of the secrets they keep. Millie is a heroine to cheer for as she makes her journey from…working wife and mom to grandmother seeking forgiveness for her decisions—made because of jaw-dropping challenges you will never forget. You’ll miss her long after the book’s cover is closed." - Jenna Blum
"A beautifully told and astonishing tale of the mysterious ties that hold a family together…Rich in detail and imbued with compassion, these characters struggle toward necessary forgiveness of a shocking maternity ward tragedy that feels all too relevant, even today. Whitaker cuts close to the bone from page one!" - Kimberly Brock
"Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish is a delight of a book that explores how one long-held secret can shape a family. Tori Whitaker’s characters sparkle with warmth and humanity, especially ninety-year-old Mil, whose voice rings clear and true throughout these charming pages." - Tara Conklin
"Packed with midcentury nostalgia and Cincinnati local interest, Whitaker’s dual-timeline debut walks a tightrope between a mother’s yearning to be truly known with what makes her eminently unknowable: a desire to protect her daughter that was born of love. Mothers and daughters alike will not soon forget Millicent Glenn’s last wish; they’ll recognize it as their own." - Kathryn Craft
"I loved this story. Tori Whitaker has created characters who are irresistibly real and hard to leave behind! A meticulously crafted debut." - Lynn Cullen
"Get ready to meet your new favorite author as Tori Whitaker moves deftly forward and back in time in a lyrical exploration of motherhood and longing, secrets and regrets, mistakes and, ultimately, absolution. This is an author with great insight into both history and the female heart, and I highly recommend this heartfelt, beautifully written debut." - Joshilyn Jackson
"Tenderly told and full of heart, Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish is a deeply satisfying story that hooked me from the first page. Tori Whitaker’s debut offers a fresh and poignant perspective on motherhood, loss, and, ultimately, forgiveness." - Lynda Cohen Loigman
"Written with compassion and grace, Tori Whitaker’s Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish is a nuanced debut illuminating the multigenerational strength of love, loss, survival, and the limitless power of family. I dare you to read without shedding a tear. Readers will think on these characters long after turning the last page." - Sarah McCoy
"A page-turner…of the lives of three generations of women, spanning the post–WWII baby boom into the modern age. Each has experienced life at a different phase of emerging feminism. As the layered revelation of long-held secrets peels away, these women discover healing for years of misunderstanding, grief, and betrayal…a masterwork." - Diane C McPhail
"Attend the debut of a bright new talent…It’s alternately joyous and sad, scary and hopeful, but always wise and warm and overflowing with the wonder of being human." - William Martin
"Tori Whitaker explores the depths of mother-love with insight, care, and heart-wrenching honesty in this post–World War II story brimming with exceptional historical detail. A moving and emotionally charged debut by a writer to watch." - Susan Meissner
"A poignant and touching story of three generations of women and the secret family tragedy that unwittingly binds them. With rich settings and fully realized characters that you’ll root for, this book broke my heart—and then stitched it back together again." - Colleen Oakley
"Readers, meet Millicent Glenn, a tough, savvy lady who has survived many challenges in her ninety-one years. But now she’s facing her biggest one yet…I rooted for Millicent and found the tenderness and complexity of the mother-daughter relationship so lovingly woven through this emotional and gripping story." - Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
"A heartwarming and affecting novel centered around the love between mothers and daughters, of what we share and the secrets we keep…Whitaker brings us back to the 1950s, highlighting the old gender norms and the cost paid by those who tried to shake them…an engaging and illuminating walk through the not-so-distant past…with a worthy heroine to lead readers through a life full of loss, love, heartbreak, and, ultimately, of forgiveness." - Karen White
"Tori Whitaker’s moving novel…offers a clear-eyed look at how ‘the good old days’ were not always so good, particularly when it came to women’s reproductive health and autonomy. This well-researched and timely novel made me thankful for past generations of women, who, like the titular character, fought hard for the rights I hold so dear today. An impressive debut." - Susan Rebecca White
"A beautifully told and astonishing tale of the mysterious ties that hold a family together…Rich in detail and imbued with compassion, these characters struggle toward necessary forgiveness of a shocking maternity ward tragedy that feels all too relevant, even today. Whitaker cuts close to the bone from page one!" - Kimberly Brock
"Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish is a delight of a book that explores how one long-held secret can shape a family. Tori Whitaker’s characters sparkle with warmth and humanity, especially ninety-year-old Mil, whose voice rings clear and true throughout these charming pages." - Tara Conklin
"Packed with midcentury nostalgia and Cincinnati local interest, Whitaker’s dual-timeline debut walks a tightrope between a mother’s yearning to be truly known with what makes her eminently unknowable: a desire to protect her daughter that was born of love. Mothers and daughters alike will not soon forget Millicent Glenn’s last wish; they’ll recognize it as their own." - Kathryn Craft
"I loved this story. Tori Whitaker has created characters who are irresistibly real and hard to leave behind! A meticulously crafted debut." - Lynn Cullen
"Get ready to meet your new favorite author as Tori Whitaker moves deftly forward and back in time in a lyrical exploration of motherhood and longing, secrets and regrets, mistakes and, ultimately, absolution. This is an author with great insight into both history and the female heart, and I highly recommend this heartfelt, beautifully written debut." - Joshilyn Jackson
"Tenderly told and full of heart, Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish is a deeply satisfying story that hooked me from the first page. Tori Whitaker’s debut offers a fresh and poignant perspective on motherhood, loss, and, ultimately, forgiveness." - Lynda Cohen Loigman
"Written with compassion and grace, Tori Whitaker’s Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish is a nuanced debut illuminating the multigenerational strength of love, loss, survival, and the limitless power of family. I dare you to read without shedding a tear. Readers will think on these characters long after turning the last page." - Sarah McCoy
"A page-turner…of the lives of three generations of women, spanning the post–WWII baby boom into the modern age. Each has experienced life at a different phase of emerging feminism. As the layered revelation of long-held secrets peels away, these women discover healing for years of misunderstanding, grief, and betrayal…a masterwork." - Diane C McPhail
"Attend the debut of a bright new talent…It’s alternately joyous and sad, scary and hopeful, but always wise and warm and overflowing with the wonder of being human." - William Martin
"Tori Whitaker explores the depths of mother-love with insight, care, and heart-wrenching honesty in this post–World War II story brimming with exceptional historical detail. A moving and emotionally charged debut by a writer to watch." - Susan Meissner
"A poignant and touching story of three generations of women and the secret family tragedy that unwittingly binds them. With rich settings and fully realized characters that you’ll root for, this book broke my heart—and then stitched it back together again." - Colleen Oakley
"Readers, meet Millicent Glenn, a tough, savvy lady who has survived many challenges in her ninety-one years. But now she’s facing her biggest one yet…I rooted for Millicent and found the tenderness and complexity of the mother-daughter relationship so lovingly woven through this emotional and gripping story." - Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
"A heartwarming and affecting novel centered around the love between mothers and daughters, of what we share and the secrets we keep…Whitaker brings us back to the 1950s, highlighting the old gender norms and the cost paid by those who tried to shake them…an engaging and illuminating walk through the not-so-distant past…with a worthy heroine to lead readers through a life full of loss, love, heartbreak, and, ultimately, of forgiveness." - Karen White
"Tori Whitaker’s moving novel…offers a clear-eyed look at how ‘the good old days’ were not always so good, particularly when it came to women’s reproductive health and autonomy. This well-researched and timely novel made me thankful for past generations of women, who, like the titular character, fought hard for the rights I hold so dear today. An impressive debut." - Susan Rebecca White
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