Jodi Thompson Carr is a University of Washington graduate and third-generation Seattleite. Her debut novel marks a departure from previous pursuits in philanthropy, education, and human services.

After a career that included writing hundreds of documents about people she didn’t know, Jodi decided it was time to flip this writing thing on its head.

In 2023, she turned her attention to some of the people everyone knows.

We all know people who read the obituaries – we might even be one of them – but few of us wonder what happens next. We know people who have never once been center stage, but whose contributions are as essential as a streetlight in Hanley, Minnesota. We know people whose broken spirits and dashed hopes may be redeemed in ways they’d never expect; and we know people whose hope isn’t just lost, it’s gone – and yet we need them all the same.

What does Jodi need?

Not much, really: the family home and the Basset Hound who lives there; friends, coffee, and pizza; and as much time as she can get traveling to places where she needs her passport.