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Redolent
From the ashes of shattered dreams, a tale of resilience rises.
Sonia Bianchi's dream of conquering the fashion world shatters with a devastating health diagnosis. Suddenly, her meticulously planned future spirals into uncertainty. Yet, amidst the chaos, unexpected friendships bloom.
Dani Abernathy, a compassionate tutor, and Lin Mitsui, a tech wizard, weave into Sonia's life, offering not just academic support but a lifeline of hope. Together, they navigate the trials of college life, familial pressures, and personal health battles.
Determined to rise from the ashes of her dashed dreams, Sonia propels herself onto a new path. But when her new workplace challenges principles she's never been brave enough to stand for, Sonia needs to figure out if she's still just living out someone else's dream.
Redolent is a poignant tale of resilience, trust, and the enduring power of friendship.
Sonia Bianchi's dream of conquering the fashion world shatters with a devastating health diagnosis. Suddenly, her meticulously planned future spirals into uncertainty. Yet, amidst the chaos, unexpected friendships bloom.
Dani Abernathy, a compassionate tutor, and Lin Mitsui, a tech wizard, weave into Sonia's life, offering not just academic support but a lifeline of hope. Together, they navigate the trials of college life, familial pressures, and personal health battles.
Determined to rise from the ashes of her dashed dreams, Sonia propels herself onto a new path. But when her new workplace challenges principles she's never been brave enough to stand for, Sonia needs to figure out if she's still just living out someone else's dream.
Redolent is a poignant tale of resilience, trust, and the enduring power of friendship.
268 pages, Paperback
Published September 18, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 15, 2025
“Redolent” takes us on a journey with Sonia, a college student who is about to be challenged by a serious health diagnosis. She has Stargardt disease and is slowly going blind.
Her dreams of a fashion design career are shattered, forcing her to seek a new career. Luckily, with the help of new friends and a volunteer opportunity with a fashion house, she forges a new path for herself. But everything will not be smooth sailing. A new career means new challenges — both to her dream and to her personal ethics.
Sonia is resilient, dealing with her diagnosis with bravery. At first, she struggles with not wanting to tell her friends or family about her diagnosis. I could relate to her denial, and not wishing to be viewed as “disabled”.
I liked how Sonia doesn’t allow others to define her by her limited sight. The author does a great job of portraying Sonia’s journey with empathy and insight. I appreciated joining Sonia on the journey of learning to accept help, while insisting on her independence and not being treated as less than because of her limited vision.
Fiction helps us develop empathy by going inside others' lives, and Redolent is a great example.
With a relatable cast of characters, the novel portrays well the transformative power of friendship and how it feels to deal with a significant health diagnosis that results in major life changes.
Her dreams of a fashion design career are shattered, forcing her to seek a new career. Luckily, with the help of new friends and a volunteer opportunity with a fashion house, she forges a new path for herself. But everything will not be smooth sailing. A new career means new challenges — both to her dream and to her personal ethics.
Sonia is resilient, dealing with her diagnosis with bravery. At first, she struggles with not wanting to tell her friends or family about her diagnosis. I could relate to her denial, and not wishing to be viewed as “disabled”.
I liked how Sonia doesn’t allow others to define her by her limited sight. The author does a great job of portraying Sonia’s journey with empathy and insight. I appreciated joining Sonia on the journey of learning to accept help, while insisting on her independence and not being treated as less than because of her limited vision.
Fiction helps us develop empathy by going inside others' lives, and Redolent is a great example.
With a relatable cast of characters, the novel portrays well the transformative power of friendship and how it feels to deal with a significant health diagnosis that results in major life changes.
February 16, 2025
What would you do if, right when the promise of a dream career in the fashion world stretched out in front of you, you received a shattering health diagnosis? One that could derail everything you’d worked toward. In her debut novel, REDOLENT, Beth Biss explores this very situation through the character of Sonia, a college student who must work through the stages of grief and come to terms with the new hand life has dealt her.
Sonia’s family dynamics create a challenge. At times she worries more about how her health crisis will disappoint her parents than she does about focusing on herself. With the help of a therapist, some adaptive technology, and the support of wonderful friends—Dani and Lin—she learns to navigate her new world with pride and propel herself forward into work she loves. Yet just when she thinks she’s got things figured out, a work crisis leaves her questioning herself again and unsure of her future.
This unique book blends women’s fiction with a story of friendship and coming of age that spans from the college years into young adulthood. Full of hope and inspiration, it shines a light on the importance of friendship, resilience, and believing in oneself above all else.
Sonia’s family dynamics create a challenge. At times she worries more about how her health crisis will disappoint her parents than she does about focusing on herself. With the help of a therapist, some adaptive technology, and the support of wonderful friends—Dani and Lin—she learns to navigate her new world with pride and propel herself forward into work she loves. Yet just when she thinks she’s got things figured out, a work crisis leaves her questioning herself again and unsure of her future.
This unique book blends women’s fiction with a story of friendship and coming of age that spans from the college years into young adulthood. Full of hope and inspiration, it shines a light on the importance of friendship, resilience, and believing in oneself above all else.
November 6, 2024
Redolent is a sensitively written depiction of a dream turned upside down by a life-changing diagnosis. Sonia, a young woman in college, is just beginning to pursue a career in fashion design. When her vision gets too fuzzy to ignore, Sonia receives a diagnosis for a disease that quickly leaves her legally blind. Everything she ever wanted is suddenly impossible. Sonia needs more than adaptive technology to make her way in the world—she needs friends with the compassion and heart to help her redefine herself.
Beth Biss’s Redolent is the first in a series dedicated to honest depictions of “spoonies,” women living with chronic illness. The extremely detailed writing may slow the story’s pace more than some readers care for, but the details contribute to the exploration of what it means to give up the life you’re living and transition to one you never chose or even imagined.
Beth Biss’s Redolent is the first in a series dedicated to honest depictions of “spoonies,” women living with chronic illness. The extremely detailed writing may slow the story’s pace more than some readers care for, but the details contribute to the exploration of what it means to give up the life you’re living and transition to one you never chose or even imagined.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews