Rhett Smith’s adventurous ex-pat life is imploding. Just in time for the big 4-0, her long-term relationship ends, her beloved grandmother dies and her plan to take refuge on the family farm in New Hampshire is thwarted by the stunning discovery that the place she’s always expected to inherit is only half hers. The other half goes to the mother she hasn’t spoken to in twenty years—a domineering woman who taught Rhett to protect her heart, hide her feelings and trust no one except herself. Those lessons might have been unintentional, but they stuck, and when Rhett turned them into a book alongside her own story of a decade of travel, odd jobs and soul searching in the voice of her “inner superhero”, The Modern Pioneer Girl, fellow nonconformists embraced it with cult-like enthusiasm—which, tbh, freaks Rhett out.
Now the MPG (aka Maggie Strong, Rhett’s pen name) is in hot demand while Rhett’s barely stumbling along. When the opportunity to step into her new fame arises, Rhett falters—and then, with her mother’s voice literally in her ear, shoves her best friend Jasmine on stage in her place.
But what seemed like a good idea at the time snowballs into chaos when the farm turns out to be headed for the auction block. Suddenly, Rhett’s mother is again in charge of her destiny, and she's far more impressed by the fake author than she ever was by Rhett. Nothing goads Rhett into impulsive action like feeling underestimated and out of control—except possibly the re-appearance of her first love, now in the role of her mother’s henchman. She’ll do anything to take back her inheritance, and Jasmine, trying to escape her own disappointments, is more than willing to continue their ruse for as long as it takes.
Together they concoct a scheme that will help them both recover all they’ve lost—but not exactly in the way they expect.
Expect tractor shenanigans, a pony with mad escape skills, iced coffee cravings and a reformed city-boy ex—and expect to find yourself thinking about the ever-present difference between who we are, and who we hope to be.
“Heartfelt, hilarious, and hugely entertaining, In Her Boots will keep you turning pages. Quickly.”
—Zibby Owens, Good Morning America
“Heart-warming and complicated and uplifting. I couldn’t put it down. Even though I usually prefer books with supernatural goats that eat people.”
–Jenny Lawson, author of Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things and Broken (In the Best Possible Way)
“Witty, charming, and utterly unputdownable, In Her Boots is the perfect reminder that living life on our own terms might just be what it’s all about. Once again, KJ Dell’ Antonia has knocked it out of the park with a story that will work its way right into readers’ hearts.”
—Kristy Woodson Harvey, author of Under the Southern Sky
“[A] lively tale…Dell’Antonia offers an affecting take on damaged relationships, while keeping things light with descriptions of spunky farm animals and the quirks of rural life. The author’s fans will love this.”
—Publishers Weekly
I write what I like to read--so if you like my books, fill your #tbr with my weekly update, #AmReading and never miss a chance to find a book you'll love.
KJ Dell’Antonia is a New York Times best-selling author whose novels The Chicken Sisters and In Her Boots explore the same themes she once explored as a journalist: the importance of finding joy in our families, the challenge of figuring out what makes us happy and the need to value the life we’re living more than the one in our phones and laptops, every single time. Her third novel, Playing the Witch Card, throws magic into the mix, but witchcraft, like reality TV and literary fraud, rarely really solves anyone’s problems. She is also the former editor of the New York Times’ Motherlode blog, the co-host of the #AmWriting podcast, and a passionate bookstagrammer (@kjda). She lives in Lyme, New Hampshire, with her husband, children and assorted dogs, cats, chickens and horses.