Barbara Ridley

writer

Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Short Memoir

Unswerving

When Tave wakes up alone in the hospital, she barely remembers the car wreck. Far from home, dazed, and despondent, she struggles to face the challenges of her new paralysis—all while worrying about her partner, Les, also severely injured in the accident, now cared for by her homophobic parents who refuse to allow contact.

In rehab, Tave relearns life skills and comes to recognize that her future will be completely different than she’d imagined. Where will she live? How will she find the help she needs? Can her friends rise to the occasion? Or will she be forced to move back in with her mother, putting up with endless talk of faith healers? Her one beacon of hope is Beth, her physical therapist. But Beth’s relationship problems with her own girlfriend push her toward overinvolvement—and risk damaging both her career and Tave’s recovery.

A story of courage, resilience, and love, Unswerving challenges readers’ preconceived notions of disability, of limitations, and of the inevitability of fate.

BUY Unswerving

U of Wisconsin Press AMAZON
“Opens your eyes and makes you think….Start Unswerving and you’ll ( heart) it.” Read the full review here https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/04/05/unswerving-book-review/
Terri Schlichenmeyer in Washington Blade
“Gripping…in the insightful novel Unswerving, a woman facing tremendous losses transforms because of her courage, resilience, and community.” Read the full review here https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/unswerving/
Foreword Reviews
“…deftly crafted characters…and narrative driven storytelling style make Unswerving an especially entertaining read from start to finish.”
Midwest Book Review
“Unswerving is fresh, vital, and important, with a well-drawn plot that moves the narrative along briskly. There is no miraculous recovery, but there are small victories here.”
Anne Finger, author of A Woman, in Bed
“It is rare for a work of fiction to tackle such topics; filled with engaging characters and vividly depicted, Unswerving’s account of injury and healing is detailed and believable.”
Amy Hoffman, author of Dot & Ralfie
“A gem: compelling, unflinching, and poignant. With dignity and compassion, Ridley has written an immersive story about rebuilding life after catastrophic injury. Unswerving is ultimately an uplifting story about love and loss and queer identity. I simply could not forget the characters long after I finished reading the final pages.”
Devi S. Laskar, author of The Atlas of Reds and Blues and Circa
“Unswerving will have you cheering on the main character Tave as she navigates the trials and triumphs of her life as a young, newly disabled lesbian. Barbara paints a realistic but not heroic story of spinal cord injury recovery, full of complex relationships, tragedy, humor, and all the messiness of life that we can all relate to.”
Judith Smith, Director Emerita of Axis Dance Company