For fans of dual-timeline, mother-daughter novels like The Paper Palace and Tom Lake, a compelling contemporary novel about a woman’s struggle to face her reckless history, with its trail of damage and deception, and her quest for the redemption that might still be possible.
From the ruins of Egypt to the privileged life of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the story of a woman’s odyssey through the maze of love, loyalty, recklessness, and remorse, as the consequences of her acts ripple through the generations.
Approaching a milestone birthday, Arden Rice has seen it all: three marriages, hardship and wealth, choices she both regrets and defends, all fueled by the same fierce desire—to give her daughter the best possible life. At least, that’s what Arden tells herself.
But nothing is simple. Arden is haunted by her impetuous history, with its trail of damage and deception. Yet she’s finally made a life where she can be her best self—until the unthinkable happens, and a train engineer’s lapse in attention throws that life into chaos.
Secrets begin to unravel, and Arden finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew—along with her own role in shaping the disturbing person her daughter has become. As the stakes increase, especially for the vulnerable granddaughter who’s now in her care, Arden must face questions she’s spent a lifetime avoiding: Which acts define a person? Can someone be better than her worst acts?
For fans of dual-timeline and mother-daughter novels, a compelling story about a woman’s struggle to face her reckless history, with its trail of damage and deception, and her quest for the redemption that might still be possible.
Industry Reviews
“A spellbinding story of a complex woman and her imperfect choices, and how those choices resonate from mother to child and beyond. Probst’s latest is a treasure—her nuanced portrait of tragedy and renewal is profound and moving, and impossible to put down.”—Fiona Davis, New York Times best-selling author of The Stolen Queen
“Probst has created an unflinchingly gritty, sexy anti-heroine you can’t look away from. I gritted my teeth and hoped for the best as I raced toward the conclusion.”—Alka Joshi, New York Times best-selling author of The Henna Artist and the Jaipur Trilogy
“Roll the Sun Across the Sky mesmerizes from the first pages. How can one be good and still exist in a complicated world? Barbara Linn Probst deftly handles this question via her complex characters in this multi-generational novel. Stunningly written, compelling, and suspenseful, this is an unforgettable read.” —Julie Maloney, author of A Matter of Chance and director of Women Reading Aloud
“With vivid intensity, Probst delves into a woman's decades-long journey through love, loss, and wisdom—an exploration of growth and self-discovery that is raw and profound.”—Randy Susan Meyers, international best-selling author of The Many Lives of Ivy Puddingstone
“If the devil is in the details, Probst is diabolically good . . . Characters are richly drawn, exotic locations are artfully described, and the language is fresh and sometimes poetic. . . Much to chew over, including explorations of the role of motherhood, the need for forgiveness, and the power of memory. Thought-provoking, textured, and touching.”—Kirkus Reviews
“I was immersed in Roll the Sun Across the Sky from the very first line … Probst does a marvelous job of making an unsympathetic character intriguing and showing her character arc. I literally could not put the book down!”—Midwest Book Review
“Probst masterfully succeeds in bringing out the nuances of mother-daughter relations, as well as the complicated nature of grief.”—BookLife Reviews, EDITOR'S PICK
