The First Thing and the Last

In the middle of a horrific night, Katherine Stuart barely escapes being murdered by her abusive husband in the kitchen of their suburban Boston home. In the aftermath of utter loss and devastation, Katherine is sought out by Lucy Dudley, an elderly woman living on a family farm in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, who reads about Katherine in the news and is drawn to her by a closely guarded history of her own. Katherine, unable to bear the accusing eyes of her family, accepts Lucy's invitation to come to Vermont, setting in motion a deepening relationship between the two women that frames a universal struggle to heal and reclaim what severe trauma takes from people's lives. The First Thing and the Last is an inspiring, heartbreaking story of the resilience of the human spirit.

Allan G. Johnson has worked on issues of social justice since receiving his Ph.D. in sociology in 1972. His work on men's violence against women began in 1977 as a volunteer at the Rape Crisis Service in Hartford, Connecticut. He has authored research, testified before legislative committees, consulted with national and state organizations, and served on the board of the Connecticut Coalition against Domestic Violence. His books have been translated into several languages and excerpted in numerous anthologies. The First Thing and the Last is his first published novel. He is married to Nora L. Jamieson, a writer, healer, and gatherer of women. They live in the hills of northwest Connecticut.