More to Life

Billingsley (My Brother’s Keeper) brings an honest voice to this thoughtful story of a middle-aged woman seeking her purpose in life. Forty-five-year-old Houstonian Aja Clayton, who looks “like a young Whitney Houston,” has the ideal husband, two children in college, and close friends—but a disturbing feeling has been nagging her. Why does she feel unhappy? Has she given up her own life to care for her family and focus on her job as a social worker? Her true passion—painting—has been abandoned for those other priorities, and after what began as a girls’ trip to the Dominican Republic, Aja decides to extend her stay alone. Previously unrecognized reasons for her discontent are gradually uncovered, including subconsciously grieving her losses after a childhood that was riddled with horrific abuse from her alcoholic father. Conversations with fellow painter Jewel inspire Aja to find her path, and she returns home to Houston to restart her life—one she will make her own. The genuine feel of the narrator’s voice and surprising twists speed the reading of this page-turner. The story of struggling for meaning in an otherwise wonderful life will resonate with anyone who ponders questions of true contentment. (Sept.)