The Measure of Life, by Judith Works

Nicole is on a journey that’s much more than a road trip. Relocating from Seattle to enchanting Italy, she struggles to raise children in a different country and within a stale marriage. In stark contrast to her relationship with her husband, she’s surrounded by vibrant sights and sounds in the heart of Rome, which beat with centuries of its citizens’ emotions and desires.

 This vivid life penetrates Nicole’s struggling soul. Inspired by her vital and fresh surroundings, she fervently yearns to make her own new start. As she ventures out, she discovers passion and its consequences. Now Nicole navigates the unpredictable twists and turns of her actions. As she looks back on The Measure of Life, it’s shocking what you learn about a person.

Nicole struggles with the move. Expecting their stay to be temporary and short, she’s dismayed to discover plans have changed and they’re staying long term. The food, challenges and temptations alive in Rome entices and impassions Nicole. She meets new people, makes new friends and experiences so much she’d never imagined. Her affair with Alessandro brings joy and life-altering impacts. Nicole has traveled far, but she’s also begun a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. She has much to learn, consider and act upon. She returns to Vashon Island to heal and reflect, only to find out that she has left loose ends abroad, and must face her past in Rome in order to ever experience peace.

Edmonds-based author Judith Works writes about two settings she knows and loves: Rome and Vashon Island. The vivid, contrasting descriptions of Rome and Vashon Island add depth to the story, immersing readers in Nicole’s very different worlds and the challenges she wrestles with. The author creates soulful characters that readers can relate to with empathy and curiosity. The unpredictability of human nature is an amazing adventure to read.

After earning a law degree, Judith Works and her husband moved to Rome where she worked for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for four years. After reluctantly saying arrivederci and moving back to the U.S., they wanted to return. Opportunity knocked with the UN World Food Program, and they were in Rome for six more years. Her experiences living in Italy and working for the UN were the genesis of her vibrant memoir Coins In The Fountain, and now the engaging novel The Measure of Life.

— By Wendy Kendall

Wendy Kendall is an author with The Wild Rose Press. Her mysteries include Kat Out of the Bag and the prequel Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash. Her newest ebook is Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For.