Wait for Me
A Novel
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 3 Mar 2026
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- 12,99 €
Publisher Description
A READ WITH JENNA TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK
From the author of Mercury and Shiner comes a novel about the bond between two female folk singers, the love stories that haunt them, and the music that brings them together to burn bright.
Young folk singer Elle Harlow reaches the height of her prowess in 1973, with two wildly beloved albums to her name and a hidden history of impossible heartbreak. When she sets foot on the famed Grand Ole Opry stage, a far cry from the mountain that raised her, Elle gives the biggest performance of her life. Then, to the dismay of shocked fans, her producer, and the man who still loves her, she vanishes.
Almost two decades later, eighteen-year-old Marijohn Shaw is spending her summer pumping gas, writing songs on her broken mandolin, and longing for a mother. Her father, Abe, has always sworn he was the last person to see Elle Harlow alive, but when a meteor strikes the woods of their sleepy Pennsylvania town and a piece of Elle’s past emerges from the wreckage, the truth of her disappearance sets fire to everything Marijohn believes about herself, her music, and her ability to love with abandon.
Wait for Me exalts the lush hills of Appalachia and the bright lights of Nashville as it reveals the legacy of Elle Harlow, the bold voice that defined her, the intimate betrayal that undid her, and the unexpected faith of another young woman determined to resurrect her.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This emotionally rich novel weaves a powerful story about music, memory, and the bonds that shape our lives. In 1973, gifted folk singer Elle Harlow steps onto the Grand Ole Opry stage at the height of her fame—and then abruptly disappears, leaving behind unanswered questions and unfinished songs. Nearly 20 years later, 18-year-old Marijohn Shaw is working at her father’s gas station and writing music on a battered mandolin. When a strange discovery links her to the long-vanished singer-songwriter, Marijohn uncovers captivating secrets that will change how she understands her family and her talent. Amy Jo Burns (Mercury) has written a beautifully musical novel capturing both the everyday mysticism of Appalachian life and the driving pull of Nashville stardom. The way she threads original song lyrics into the narrative makes Elle’s and Marijohn’s music feel like a living, breathing presence. Wait for Me is a heartfelt novel about the gifts women pass down to one another.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Burns (Mercury) serves up an evocative if contrived tale of how music legends are born. In 1973, Elle Harlow is a 22-year-old rising folk singer from Appalachia, where she was taught music by a healer named Merry, who gave her a special mandolin. Shortly after her debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry, Elle disappears. In 1991, Marijohn Shaw, 18, works at her father's gas station and makes music with her best friend, Laz. Her father, Abe, claims to be the last person to see Elle, on the same night he found Marijohn abandoned in a wicker basket and decided to raise her as his own. One night, Marijohn and Laz get together to record a video of themselves performing a song, with Laz playing the mandolin Marijohn was found with as a baby. Later, the tape is broadcast by a local TV station, after which Marijohn is visited by a mysterious woman who demands her mandolin back, setting off a chain of events that will wed Elle's past to Marijohn's future. Though it's rich with Appalachian atmosphere, the novel is undone by too many preposterous plot developments and some awkward exposition. This has its moments, but it doesn't quite take flight.
