Big & Lily
A Novel
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Aug 11, 2026
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A sharply funny, deeply heartfelt novel about two sisters who discover the best way to find yourself is by getting lost.
For her entire life, Bridget “Big” Ackerman Petty has struggled to hold everything together—her kids, her husband, her demanding mother, all in dizzying orbit around her. While the kids are grown and her husband is retired, every day still feels like a to-do list she can never quite finish. Why is everything so effortless and easy for her sister Lily—a woman blessed with a magnetic personality, a thriving business, and a husband who adores her.
But when Lily discovers her husband’s been cheating, her “perfect” life implodes. Devastated and overwhelmed, she decides to run as far away as possible: to Alaska to lose herself on a hardcore survival trek—and she’s dragged her reluctant sister Big along.
No cell service, no easy exits—just grizzlies, outdoor plumbing, and a group of strangers who know how to read a compass. As the sisters navigate freezing rivers, unmarked trails, and more than one near-death experience, the defenses they’ve used to protect themselves begin to crumble, and they’re forced to face everything they’ve spent decades avoiding: resentment, regret, envy, and the terrifying possibility that the other one’s life might not be as easy as it looks.
Big & Lily is a laugh-out-loud, emotionally rich novel about second acts, sisterhood, and the unexpected ways we find ourselves when we’re truly lost.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Two codependent sisters take on the Alaskan wilderness in this heartfelt comic novel from Roe (Welcome to the Neighborhood). When 41-year-old Lily finds out her husband cheated on her, she runs to her sister, Bridget, eight years her senior. As a little girl, Lily was regularly looked after by Bridget, whom she nicknamed Big. Their father abandoned them, and their mother was emotionally distant, often sending Lily to Big for comfort. To this day, Big will do anything for Lily, even join her on a weeklong guided trip in Alaska, where the much younger and more in-shape Lily hopes to find herself. During the trek, which Lily disingenuously pitched to Big as "one step away from a cruise," the sisters bicker over a series of misfortunes—lost luggage, an overturned kayak—and Lily turns on the charm with their fellow travelers, particularly D-list actor Dane. Big, meanwhile, tries to encourage Lily to face her struggles head-on instead of avoiding them, and Lily reacts by keeping her romance with Dane a secret. Meanwhile, Big, with the help of wise counsel from their earthy guide, faces her fear of not being needed. The story climaxes with a cascade of dangerous mishaps and resolves with both sisters transformed for the better in ways that don't feel forced. This one has charm to spare.
