Released on August 25, 2026
In the Space of What Was
There are at least three versions of a person: the one inside, the one outside, and the one others whisper about.
English teacher Lealia Escoffier has always been quick to forgive, slow to confront, and willing to accommodate others at her own expense. Seeking a fresh start after a divorce, she and her two daughters relocate to a close-knit community on the shores of Puget Sound, where she is befriended by Nancy Benson—charismatic, intense, and apparently boundlessly generous. Lealia does not yet understand what will be expected in return.
As Lealia stumbles through the minefield of Nancy’s territorial friendship, Aggie, Nancy’s 17-year-old son, uncovers truths his mother would rather leave buried. The revelations upend not only his own family, but the lives of others he cares deeply about.
The story is told from three perspectives—Lealia as she rebuilds her life, Nancy, determined to manage it, and Aggie, who sees more than either of them. Each of them must decide what they want most of all—and what they will build In the Space of What Was.
For anyone who has ever believed that they have to become less to be loved more.
In the Space of What Was 