Following Disasters

On her twenty-first birthday, Maggie Owen receives an unusual birthday gift: a house. That same day, the house’s owner, her aunt, dies.

For three years, Maggie has been fleeing her childhood demons: the deaths of her parents, estrangement from her terminally-ill aunt, and a betrayal by her best friend. But now her career on the road, following natural disasters in temporary insurance claims offices, ends abruptly as Maggie returns home to face her past.

But why does the house hold a mysterious spell over her?

Why does she have the persistent feeling that her aunt is haunting her?

Why did her aunt lie to her about the circumstances of her parents’ deaths?

Who is the ghost child that may be hanging around the house?

And what’s with the guy next door who seems so hostile toward her?

Following Disasters is a tightly woven ghost story that raises questions about legacies and their influence on our choices.

Reviews

How great would it be to inherit, unexpectedly, a wonderful large Victorian house when you turned twenty-one? Maggie-Kate is unsure if it’s a blessing or a curse. Following Disasters is a novel that offers thrilling wisdom–about family, friendship, and romance. This is a true and important book, sometimes haunting, that is worth any reader’s time.”
— Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Abundance, a Novel of Marie-Antoinette and Ahab’s Wife

A masterfully told story of betrayal and dislocation vibrantly narrated through the voices of an odd-ball aunt and her eccentric niece, Following Disasters is at once a mystery, a love story, and a narrative of healing. Nancy McCabe’s most recent novel explores that deepest human yearning: our need to belong. I couldn’t put it down.”
— Elaine Neil Orr, author of A Different Sun: A Novel of Africa

Following Disasters is really about fleeing the disasters of our past, and, finally, facing them. This beautiful novel shows how the ghosts of the past will quietly torment us until we confront them head on. You’ll be haunted by the brave, struggling Maggie long after you turn the final page―I certainly have been.”
— Katrina Kittle, author of Blessings of the Animals

Nancy McCabe creates a poignant tapestry of a family in her debut novel, Following Disasters. With a keen eye for the telling details, a sharp wit, and above all, a deep compassion for her characters, she gives us a story of past, present, and future, a story of what it takes to wait for the blessings of our lives.”
— Lee Martin, author of The Bright Forever

Other Reviews

• Gary Walker at U.S. Represented: “Not Your Typical Coming Of Age Story: A Review of Nancy McCabe’s Following Disasters”
• Evan Pille at Daily Nebraskan: “Following Disasters Holds Emotion, Hope, Redemption”