Roll the Sun Across the Sky

by Barbara Linn Probst

For fans of dual-timeline, mother-daughter novels like The Paper Palace and Tom Lake, a compelling contemporary novel about a woman’s struggle to face her reckless history, with its trail of damage and deception, and her quest for the redemption that might still be possible.

From the ruins of Egypt to the privileged life of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the story of a woman’s odyssey through the maze of love, loyalty, recklessness, and remorse, as the consequences of her acts ripple through the generations.

Approaching a milestone birthday, Arden Rice has seen it all: three marriages, hardship and wealth, choices she both regrets and defends, all fueled by the same fierce desire—to give her daughter the best possible life. At least, that’s what Arden tells herself.

But nothing is simple. Arden is haunted by her impetuous history, with its trail of damage and deception. Yet she’s finally made a life where she can be her best self—until the unthinkable happens, and a train engineer’s lapse in attention throws that life into chaos.

Secrets begin to unravel, and Arden finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew—along with her own role in shaping the disturbing person her daughter has become. As the stakes increase, especially for the vulnerable granddaughter who’s now in her care, Arden must face questions she’s spent a lifetime avoiding: Which acts define a person? Can someone be better than her worst acts?

For fans of dual-timeline and mother-daughter novels, a compelling story about a woman’s struggle to face her reckless history, with its trail of damage and deception, and her quest for the redemption that might still be possible.

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

Published May 13, 2025

About the author

Barbara Linn Probst is an award-winning author of contemporary women’s fiction living on an historic dirt road in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her acclaimed novels QUEEN OF THE OWLS (2020) and TTHE SOUND BETWEEN THE NOTES (2021) were medalists for prestigious national awards, and THE SOUND BETWEEN THE NOTES was selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the Best Indie Books of 2021. Barbara has also published over fifty essays on the craft of writing for sites such as Jane Friedman and Writer Unboxed, along with two nonfiction books. Her third novel THE COLOR OF ICE will be released in October 2022.

FUN FACT:
Barbara's first book was framed around the art and life of iconic American painter Georgia O'Keeffe, and her second book was framed around music and the piano. THE COLOR OF ICE, set among Iceland's thermal lagoons and blue icebergs, is framed around the magical art of glassblowing.

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

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The Book Review Crew Blog

I've never read this author before, but have read good things about this one via reviews, so I figured this would be a good way to start, and am I ever glad I did. It was women's fiction at its best. This was a beautifully written story about a woman named Arden, and it takes place in two timelines. I love a good dual timeline story. This one takes us back to 1977 when our main character was a teacher and went to Europe with her friend Robert. I did not like Arden at first, as I found her to be selfish and self-serving. Can she redeem herself, faults and all?

The second timeline is in 2013, when Arden is about to celebrate turning sixty, she decides to do this with her daughter's family, but tragedy strikes and Arden is left to take care of her 10-year-old granddaughter. Arden blames herself for the tragedy and thinks this may be the consequences or punishment for her past behaviour, so this is when she starts to think of what and who she's done.

It was such an interesting and thought-provoking multigenerational tale that deals with mother-daughter relationships, healing and forgiving oneself. And although I didn't like Arden in the beginning, the character development made up for it in spades. The author writes emotions and family dynamics in a very moving way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Lilly of the Library 📖🌿 · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Single mom coming of age
✨Grief/Loss
✨Dual Timeline

Wow did this book catch me by surprise.

Arden Rice is celebrating a milestone birthday when an unexpected misstep on behalf of a train operator changes the entire course of what she has left of life and the way she viewed the life she already lived. When she’s left to care for her granddaughter she learns truths about the choices she made as a mother that didn’t have the outcome she’d hoped for and revisits shameful parts of her past to reflect on this.

As a reader we experience alongside Arden, her attempts at long term relationship with men in her life gone wrong— she spends so much of her life trying to manipulate her circumstances and pays quite the price for the mistakes she makes along the way.

I noticed in some of the reviews that some people did not enjoy the book because of the main character, and I found that to be interesting. The way I see it—Arden’s life and choices, missteps and failures could easily be any of us, and yet her life turned out such that she tried to control the outcomes so much that she suffered grave consequences for each one of those mistakes, whereas many of us might have been fortunate to learn and move on. I felt quite sorry for her, though at times frustrated and saddened by the circumstances she seemingly brought upon herself to the end that her daughter would have the life she thought she should have. When Arden looks back at all of the people she betrayed, and the lies that she told to this end, learning that her daughter didn’t turn out to be such a great person or mother was a shock to say the least.

I did NOT at all expect this book to be a page turner! The author does a beautiful job at depicting the nuance within all of us to want to do well and be “good” and live rightly, and have our desires override and take matters into our own hands. This was a great read and a beautiful reflection on what drives us and how our own vices get in the way of pursuing the good that we intend to.

Thank you to Get Red PR for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to more from this author!

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Linn Probst, the Author of “Roll the Sun Across the Sky” has written a thought-provoking, captivating and intriguing novel. In this well written and reflective novel, the author vividly describes the landscape, scenery, and dramatic characters. The genres for this novel are Women’s Fiction, Motherhood, and Marriage and Divorce. The characters are described as complex, complicated and flawed. In this novel, the author discusses how past behavioral mistakes can contribute to actions in the present and future. I appreciate that the author also mentions the importance of family, forgiveness, second chances, love and hope. Other questions arise is the importance of money, and is the pen mightier than the sword? Can words be dangerous, or creative?

The protagonist of the story Arden Rice is about to celebrate a birthday that turns out to be tragic. She revisits her life, her loves, her secrets, her betrayals, her mistakes, and bad choices. Arden is seeking some sort of redemption for herself and her granddaughter. As secrets and perceptions are clarified, Arden is looking for a positive path. I couldn’t put this book down, and I highly recommend it. This is an amazing, memorable, and heartfelt story.

[erin (readingwithremy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Barbara Linn Probst, Get Red PR Books and She Writes Press for my advanced copy of Roll The Sun Across The Sky by Barbara Linn Probst which comes out May 13th.

This was an interesting book and would be great for book club discussion. Arden was one of the most selfish and complex characters along with being very unlikeable. Through this dual timeline, you see her in her early 20s and then again as she turns 60 and tragedy strikes. As Arden reflects on her life she thinks about the decisions she's made and what makes a person.

Barbara's writing style captivates you in her books and she has such beautiful writing.

If you like women's fiction or family drama you'll enjoy this book.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I have to say that this is the best book this author has written so far. She's a marvelous author. Her books always draw me in. This one is just so good.

I didn't like Arden at first. I thought she was just a cold person who wanted her way about everything and didn't care who she hurt in the meantime. But as I kept reading I saw that she was looking for something. Something that may not be easy to see or understand. But something nonetheless. Yes she wanted security. She wanted love. She wanted to be accepted. And she could be selfish. But she had a heart in there too. A pretty big one. I felt for Arden in lots of ways. I think maybe I could relate to her in many ways. Arden had some anger issues that I tried to understand. She also had so much love to give when she wanted to. Arden was a complex woman for sure.

Her love life was certainly a mess. She did men wrong much of the time and hated, absolutely hated, to be told no. I believe she was spending time looking for complete and total loyalty. Yes she wanted to have money. She was not in a good financial situation. And yes she wanted total loyalty, in all areas. She seemed to use people like they were disposable. Like she would never need them again. But she did grow up. She did fall in love. In complete love. Arden married a few times. Once for a father for her unborn baby. Bit mistake. Once for security. Yes again, big mistake. Though that one did help her a lot. But Connor. Connor was her true love.

Arden lost her husband and her daughter right in the beginning of this story. A horrific train accident. Then you learn about them and her. You get to know Arden's daughter Leigh and her husband Connor. And her granddaughter Danielle. Danielle is something else. A complex child. One that Arden takes into her home and gives all the love she has. Danielle has problems after losing her mother. What child wouldn't. But she is resilient also. Just like Arden...

This is a great book. It had me crying and laughing. Feeling so many emotions. Rooting for Arden and Danielle. I felt bad for Robert, the first guy you meet, but he prevailed on his own. And he gained a lot later... Arden was a character to reckon with. You either love her or hate her. I actually ending up loving her. This book definitely tugged at my heart.

Thank you to the author for the arc book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.

[Jenni Ogden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of Barbara Linn Probst’s superbly written ‘book club’ novels (with their beautiful covers!) but this one was rather different, primarily because the author has taken some big risks by writing a protagonist who is one of the most unlikeable characters I have ever read outside of a thriller. Arden Rice’s journey through this novel begins when she is 24 as she travels to Europe with Robert, the young man she seems to have conveniently paired with for her own selfish ends. The story then moves to Arden on her 60th birthday when she faces a tragedy of immeasurable proportions that leaves her 10-year-old granddaughter in her care and her unkind behaviors in her past life to reckon with. Now we find out more about what has shaped Arden and how she has shaped her own daughter. For me I was wondering about Arden’s parents? How did they shape her? There is very little in Arden’s musings to give us any insight into her childhood.

Of course, as this is a novel we guess Arden is in the end going to change and become a nice person. To find out if that happens the reader will have to read it… but be warned, it is no light and predictable road. For me, I was left with bemusement about Arden’s character… I personally in real life have never known anyone who even approaches such a selfish being and I hope I never will. But sadly I suppose such people exist (everyday people I mean, not some politicians and the like.) The question is, do I want to read about them? Well yes, because I know what an intelligent writer Linn Probst is, and yes, because that is what fiction is for; to explore worlds and people we would otherwise not experience. This is my least favorite novel of this author but for me it is a 4/5 anyway and for other readers it may be anything from a 2 to a 5! And 5 stars to Linn Probst for taking a risky subject and writing a novel about it. Great fodder for book club discussions.

[Donna McCaul Thibodeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arden is a sixty year old woman who has a huge tragedy happen in her, which leads her to reflect and review the way she has lived her life.
This book was very well written but I could not, in good conscience, give it more than three stars. The character of Arden was such a selfish, unpleasant person. If I had not received an advanced copy of this book to review, I would not have finished it. Not my cup of tea.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Sue Fernandez]

I loved reading this book, in no small part because I could identify with the time period in which its set. The characters were fully developed and I loved the plot.
The book had me reading, and not wanting to put it down until I'd finished it.
There were a lot of life lessons in this book, and I'm happy that I had the opportunity to read it.
I'd never heard of the author, Barbara Linn Probst, but I'll seek her other books out now.

#RollTheSunAcrossTheSky #NetGalley #BarbaraLinnProbst

[Patti Parker Markgraf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is women’s fiction at its finest; it’s memorable, thought-provoking, complex, maddening, and haunting. There is so much to unpack here, and I devoured it.

My reviews seldom give the background/premise or synopsis of a book, because we can all look those up with ease on our own. My focus is always on the writing, the character-development, the sensitivity it provokes, and the pace and depth of the story. The story unfolds in two separate timelines; one told in first person and the other told in third person. These timelines reveal this very imperfect, even unlikable, protagonist who is Arden Rice.

She is shown to the dear reader to be chronically flawed, yet hopeful to change; she is just like we all are: imperfect and flawed—perhaps not all in the same way, but, nonetheless, human.

It is a story about love, family, grief, guilt, and redemption, with a backdrop of breathtaking, lyrical prose, a smidge of suspense, and well-crafted, multi-dimensional supporting characters. I loved it.

It is difficult to review without revealing spoilers, but it is an exceptional journey of life and all the chaotic, horrible, beautiful, and exquisite elements that transpire during one’s unique expedition. This will make for a scintillating book club discussion. It is due to be published on May 13th, 2025.

Thank you author, Barbara Lin Probst; publisher, She Writes Press; and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are wholly my own.

[skketch · Rating 2 out of 5]

📚🐫💔👩‍👧NOVEL THOUGHTS👩‍👧💔🐫📚

This is a story in which Arden Rice, a mother and grandmother, is reflecting back on her life as she is about to celebrate her 60th birthday with husband number three, daughter Leigh and granddaughter Danielle. But then the absolutely unthinkable happens and Arden begins to think that this event is the punishment for her past.
Starting with a trip to Egypt in 1977 with a man named Robert, she recalls doing some rather shifty things and being impatient and unkind towards him and these actions seemed to be her MO in any relationship she was in. When she discovers she is pregnant while with a man she used to make Robert see she is not interested in continuing their relationship, she realizes that Robert is the father but convinces this current fling he is the dad and they marry. Her life with this wanna be musician is hard because they struggle monthly with their limited expenses and after several years, she's had enough and wants out. Her daughter, now six, watches her mother's revolving door of lovers, never any of them staying to give her the stability of a father figure. Arden returns to her former job as a teacher in a private school and will eventually attract the father of a student who turns in an inadequate paper. This leads to dating and eventually a proposal but with a condition. She accepts this because the life he can given them is what she has always coveted. His daughter also becomes like the big sister Leigh never had and life is good until Arden breaks the confidence of his man in a selfish move to protect herself and they divorce. More men, more inappropriate behavior in front of her daughter ensues until a trip to a farm as a research project for her daughter's school project where she meets Connor and there is an instant spark. While it's mutual, Connor claims a polyamory lifestyle much to Arden's chagrin. After an abusive incident occurs at school, Leigh turns to Connor now her stepfather for words of advice and he tells her "have all the guys you want"(@69%) and she takes these words to heart. The reader has to wonder though, is it Connor's words or her mother's own behavior that gives her the permission for her promiscuity? This is what Arden has to consider when she learns of Leigh's multiple partners and all the while, not taking Danielle into account for what she sees in her young life. Like Mother like Daughter times two! Also, Arden now has to help Danielle deal with the tragedy in her life. Finally, at age 60, Arden sees the errors her life choices and where her selfish behaviors have led.
Accept for Robert, there isn't one character that I liked. Arden is selfish, untrustworthy, a liar, a user and very self-centered and I really struggled with reading this book. While I believe the reader is supposed to see the moment that Arden sees the light, it was a long time coming and what she did to people along the way was horrible and unforgiveable. She hurt so many people in her life for her own selfish gain and she always tries to justify her behavior to make herself feel okay about what she has said or done. For instance, what she did to Robert in Egypt knowing his allergy just so she could follow her lust, was unconscionable!! The attempt at redemption falls short for me.
The cover art is quite lovely but somehow didn’t match the negativity of the storyline.
All thoughts and opinions are my own and I thank Netgalley, the publisher and author for the ARC of this novel.

[LiterallyLoriB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one grabbed me from the very first page. The dialogue in Roll the Sun Across the Sky is downright unfiltered: Arden says what she’s thinking, and sometimes it stings, but it never feels fake. She can come off as brutal and a little narcissistic, but isn’t that just part of being a twenty-something on the hunt for excitement? She’s thirsting for new horizons, making mistakes, and (spoiler) learning the hard way, totally recognizable behaviors for anyone who’s ever chased the next big thrill.

What I love most about Probst’s dual-timeline setup is how lush and lyrical it feels. One minute you’re barreling through European train cars with a restless Arden in the late ’70s, the next you’re in present-day Manhattan, watching her juggle a teenager who’s been dealt a crushing blow. You feel every high and low: the heady rush of Arden’s impulsive decisions, then the gut-punch of seeing how those choices echo decades later. It’s a roller coaster of growth and setbacks in each relationship, romantic flings that flame out, family grudges that smolder, and the slow, bittersweet work of adulting when life finally catches up to you.

📚 Tropes & Vibes
🚄 Jet-set escapades: Arden’s European train journeys are practically a character of their own.
🔍 Family secrets unearthed: Lies from the ’70s still haunt the present.
💔 Headstrong antiheroine: Arden is equal parts magnetic and maddening...totally human.
🔄 Dual-timeline drama: We jump between past and present, feeling lush, lyrical prose in both.
🛤️ Redemption through tragedy: A devastating train accident forces Arden to face herself and rebuild.
🏙️ City-slick heartbreak: Modern-day Manhattan life serves a side of glamour with a dash of grit.

Would I recommend this book?
Absolutely. If you’re the kind of reader who lives for brutally honest dialogue, complex women who make messy choices, and multi-generation sagas that linger long after you turn the last page, Roll the Sun Across the Sky will feel like home. Arden’s mistakes and triumphs hit hard, she’s beautifully human, even when she hurts those around her. And that dual-timeline magic...executed perfectly. It’s lyrical but never abstract; you’ll feel every thread pull between past and present. Bookmark this one for your next cozy weekend binge...just be ready to clear your calendar, because you won’t want to put it down.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for an ARC of Roll The Sun Across the Sky by Barbara Linn Probst in exchange for my honest review.

I truly dislike giving a book a negative review, but Barbara Linn Probst’s latest novel, Roll the Sun Across the Sky, left me with such a bad taste in my mouth. So here it is.

When I read the premise for this story, it sounded like it was right in my wheelhouse – mother-daughter relationship, dual timeline, a woman facing her past mistakes seeks redemption. This book was all that, however, I found Arden Rice, our main character, to be extremely unlikeable. I would even go so far as to say she is narcissistic and cruel. I don’t have a problem with unlikeable characters, and when done well, I often root for them or at least laugh at or with them. That was not the case with Arden. Everything that happens to her she brings upon herself. At the beginning of the story, when Arden was 24, she does something so cruel and purposeful, a malicious unprovoked action that could have caused great physical harm to another person, all to benefit herself. Most of this book is from Arden’s POV, and is essentially her stream of consciousness as she moves through her life, so we have a very good understanding about this character’s intents and motivations. I don’t want to elaborate further so as not to spoil the book for other readers. Suffice it to say, I found that single act at the beginning of the book so despicable and inexcuseable, that it would have been best for me to DNF the book at that point.

I decided to read on to see if Arden would be able to redeem herself. Sadly, she makes one mean and hurtful decision after the next. Even in the present-day timeline, when Arden is a grandmother, I found her to be insufferable. The ending had suggestions of redemption, but at that point it was too late for this reader.

The book moves quickly and I found the time-line hops to be successful. I may be an outlier with my low, critical review of this book, because there are several 5-star reviews out there, so if the premise and themes of Roll the Sun Across the sky sound interesting to you please check out other reviews.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an engaging read and an interesting reflection on life's choices (and wrongs done). There's a dual timeline between sixty-year-old Arden and her twenty-something self. As present-day Arden copes with the aftermath of an unbelievable tragedy, we trace the path that got her to where she is.

At face value, Arden is a good woman with a good family who should never have to endure what she's being put through. And yet we see she has always believed herself at some level unworthy of such a good life. When that life falls apart, it's almost like the thing she's been waiting for has finally arrive: her comeuppance.

While it's up to the reader to decide whether we agree with Arden's assessment, I think she inflated her own importance in others' lives quite a bit. We see this when she eventually allows herself a chance to right some of her past wrongs, or at least speak to those she had wronged. She had great power over the men who loved her, but they also had plenty of agency and ability to heal those wounds, whereas in Arden's mind they sort of stayed preserved in amber on the last day she heard from them.

I like that about this story, just as I like the author's portrayal of Arden's various misdeeds as selfish yet relatable. Arden's lack of true hardship in life makes her a little hard to like sometimes, and her missteps harder to forgive. At the same time, I have experienced the compulsion to avoid a man whose feelings for me feel oppressive. Under duress, I have blurted out words I would immediately want back. Even if we need to dislike Arden a tiny bit, we can see a bit of ourselves in her too. She shows a way through even the worst times, into a place of self-awareness and steadiness.

I hit a few snags while reading -- I wondered if the character of Leigh might have benefited from a tiny bit more development, and I didn't quite understand why the past chapters were in first person while the present ones were in third person -- but overall I was surprised by how much this story drew me in.

[Debra Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to begin with such a complex and fascinating novel? I struggled at first with this most unlikable, self-centered, thoughtless protagonist, Arden, but having read Barbara Linn Probst’s previous novels, I had faith in the journey about to unfold. That and the title itself which implies rebirth: Egyptian God of the Rising Sun, Khepri, reappears each morning from a place of darkness to roll the sun across the sky. A new day. A new chance.
 
Even more symbolic of Arden’s journey is the Egyptian scarab beetle that rolls its eggs in dung and pushes the ball across the ground until the time when the little ones emerge and new life begins—for it is unexpected motherhood that gives Arden a chance to act on her lifelong yearning: “Let me be good.” Being good does not come easily to Arden, for her desire to give her daughter the best life possible leads her to use and sometimes deceive the men in her life—a boyfriend she hurts deeply and three husbands that follow, though she does find love with her third husband. The novel’s dual timeline alternates between the younger, self-centered Arden: her trip to Europe with the boyfriend and her three marriages; and then older Arden, on her sixtieth birthday, as she endures a horrific tragedy that leaves her the sole caretaker of her ten-year-old granddaughter.
 
Here is where Arden finds her way to a deeper understanding of herself and the goodness she has yearned for. She learns the importance of bonds, not those that hold us back, but those that connect us to others, for it is when we reach out to help or accept help from others, we celebrate our communal lives. Not only has Arden had a chance to set things right, but she has learned the true meaning of for the good of all.
 
Truly a triumph for Barbara Linn Probst. While I particularly liked her third novel, The Color of Ice, this, her fourth, is truly her best.

[Erin Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨🔮🌞🌕🍄🌕🌞🔮✨

ARC REVIEW

Roll the Sun across the Sky - Barbara Linn Probst

4/5⭐️

📚📚📚
This one was a one sitting read for me. It completely kept me engaged the entire time. Once I started I realized this was definitely a different kind of book than I normally read but I absolutely enjoyed it. What I also didn’t expect was how emotional so many parts were going to get. Full on tears in my eyes. Arden is our main character and the journey of life she has been on is a big one. She made some choices along the way that are great and others that are questionable. We get to see her grow and work through some of her questionable choices. The tragedy she goes through oh god. Just rip my heart out. But Arden really did what she needed too. Without giving to much of this one away i personally feel like this book/characters can be very relatable. If you enjoy that I totally recommend.

📚📚📚
If you like to read:
- Fiction
- Dual timeline
… You should definitely check this out

📚📚📚

Thank you so much for sending me a copy for an honest review in my own words. #giftedcopy

✨What’s a book you’ve found that had relatable characters in it?

#books #booklover #smut #booknerd #bookfriend #bookish #booklovers #bookishcommunity #bookloversunite #instabook #bookporn #bookphotography #reviews #igbooks #ilovereading #smutty #bookaddiction #bookhoader #hotnsexy #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecs #yummy #givemeallthebooks #readingthepainaway #booktok #arc

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roll the Sun Across the Sky has an interesting premise. How are we seen by others in our lives? Is that person who is shallow and immature in her 20s, like that because it’s in her nature, or can she evolve as a person as she gets older through maturity and life experiences?

I believe it’s intended for the readers not to like Arden much in the beginning of the book in her younger years. She starts off as a spoiled, selfish young woman who hasn’t thought much about the feelings of others and the consequences of her actions. We begin the book in 1977, when Arden and her boyfriend take a trip on the Orient Express from Italy, Turkey and Egypt (By the way, the way the trip is depicted in this book gives you a good insight to what traveling in these countries would be like in thus time. But it flashes to her present, 2013, when she learns about a terrible tragedy that affects the ones she loves the most and leaves her granddaughter without a mother.

Arden really comes into her own when her daughter is a teenager and meets the man who becomes the love of her life but it’s not until we see her in her present , when she faces the challenge of becoming a mother to her preteen granddaughter, that we really see what she’s made of and the person she has become. Unfortunately, she learns some not so great secrets about her daughter that are hard to hear.

This was a good book, with a good premise and I definitely recommend it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

ROLL THE SUN ACROSS THE SKY by Barbara Linn Probst

So complex and haunting, with tragedies real and imagined, and so much guilt. Are we to be judged, or to judge ourselves, by our worst actions? Anyone who has lain awake remembering past errors can relate to Arden’s spiral of regrets. It’s hard to describe this fascinating book without spoiling secrets, but I’ll try.
Arden wants to be good, tries to be good, feels every failure, and being human, she does have failures. Her worst fears are that her weaknesses will cause harm to her daughter and granddaughter, for whom she’s done what she’s had to do to protect and nurture them.
Her focused efforts parallel the scarab or dung beetle’s labors to nurture life by rolling balls of dung containing its eggs, which is in sacred parallel to Khepri rolling the sun across the sky. I’ve not been to Egypt, but the descriptions almost make me feel I have, I have visited the Orient Express station in Istanbul, and I’ve felt the traveler’s disconnect from real life, as if anything can happen.
There are engaging secrets, conflicts, emotions, suspense, and characters to love and care for and worry about. I gladly turned off the TV, lost sleep, ate quick, simple meals, to just keep reading. One lingering lesson, when all seems too much, write poetry.

[Niki McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounding up

Arden Rice is a 60-year-old woman who has just tragically lost both her husband and her daughter in an accident. From this tragedy, she is fraught with the idea that they are gone as punishment for all the crappy things she had done in her life.

The story is told in dual timelines, so you get to see her in her youth and get to know the reasons why she feels she is deserving of such a punishment. Truthfully, she has very little in the way of redeeming qualities, and I didn’t entirely disagree with her assessment. You find that she has done some horrible things to repeatedly improve her own station in life.

She now is finding that the apple may not have fallen far from the tree, and that her daughter was similar in how selfish a life she was leading, at the expense of others.

Arden’s one redeeming quality is the way in which she cares for her granddaughter. It was the one thing that held the book together for me. I really struggle with unlikeable characters, so Arden was tough to connect with for me.

However, I do think this book is for those who prefer a flawed or unlikable main character. If that is the case, then this one will be right up your alley. It has beautiful writing, I appreciated the poetry throughout, and the scenes from the trip abroad were beautifully described.

[Cynthia Kumanchik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roll the Sun Across the Sky is a woman’s story about truth, regrets, reflection, and renewal. It is told mainly through Arden’s eyes as she makes cringing mistakes and decisions without thought.

The novel begins with a twenty-something, Arden, who travels with a boyfriend to Egypt and becomes pregnant. It evolves to show Arden navigating to protect her daughter and have a better life at all costs. The novel transitions to the present day as Arden must deal with the untimely death of her daughter, Leigh, and her third husband, Connor, who is her soulmate. Readers will relate as she deals with caring for her granddaughter, Danielle, and balancing her grief.

Through Danielle’s revelations, she discovers past secrets, realizing that her decisions and cruel actions against men affected her relationships in many ways. She suffers from her mistakes upon the deaths of her husband and daughter, picking up the pieces to help her granddaughter cope.

I like the two timelines as we see Arden progress in making her life right again, if only for her granddaughter. Her character is unlikeable yet painfully honest. I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Roll the Sun Across the Sky. #NetGalley #Roll the Sun Across the Sky #Women’sfiction

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does a character have to be likeable for you to love the story?

Arden Rice was a character I initially thought I would dislike. She was selfish, critical, and reckless. Yet by the end of the story, I loved watching her journey of reflection and growth.

Through a history of rash and bad decisions, Arden had left wreckage in her wake. The one good thing to come from it all is her daughter, and she would do anything for her.
Then tragedy strikes, and Arden is left to raise her granddaughter.

The emotional depth of Arden's journey makes this story so compelling. Forced to confront her past, the timeline shifts from a manipulative and self-serving Arden in her twenties to a sixty-year-old caring for her granddaughter. We witness her transformation, her realization of the unfortunate legacy she has left behind, and her journey towards redemption.

Not only is this a powerful read, but it’s also a bit daunting—do we want to face the fact that what we do and say may affect the generations we raise?

This is a thought-provoking exploration of actions, choices, and redemption. It prompts us to question whether it's ever too late to make things right.


Thank you @getredprbooks and @barbara_linn_probst for the gifted book.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When in 1977 Arden decides to travel to Europe with her somewhat boyfriend Robert while both are on break from teaching, she sets the stage for a life of deceit. Not really loving Robert, but not willing to set him loose either, they travel throughout Europe - mostly at Arden’s planning. Robert is great at pinching the pennies, but not much else. When Robert is able to take a flight back to the US but Arden must wait for a later flight, she realizes he’s not who she really wants - plus she has memories of a suave Italian that stole her heart.

After a break-up, Arden moves through her life and continues to use men for her purpose. Hang with this story, because at the end she does redeem herself! Fast forward to 2013, and a sixty year old Arden must come to grips with what she’s done right and wrong in her life. When tragedy strikes her immediate family, she is left to care for her 10 year old granddaughter. The story is really heartwarming as we see Arden try and reach this troubled child, and will have her questioning if she really knew her daughter at all. This a mother-daughter story that will have you flipping the pages to see what happens next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC; all opinions are my own.

[Sharon Dukett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous, spellbinding novel.
When Probst drops you into a scene, you are right there, experiencing the sweat, pain, beauty, and noise, struggling to breathe as you exit a crowded train, and distracted by the perfumed scents of an exotic location.
Arden is a complicated woman you will not forget. She’s not perfect, nor is she a victim, which I loved about her. We meet her when she is young and carefree, hopping around Europe in the 1970s with a man she knows, her almost boyfriend. But not the man of her dreams. He’s more like her safety net that allows her to embark on adventures. And she craves adventures, including those of the flesh.
The story flips between the 1970s and the years between then and later, when she is turning sixty. Her life has been interesting and messy, and she has left a string of casualties in her wake. Then one day, tragedy strikes, and she must shift through the wreckage to fix what is still fixable and face the truth about where she is to blame, and where she has wrongly blamed herself.
I loved this book. It would be a bestseller if more people knew about it.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had the pleasure of reading all four of Barbara Probst's books, and while I've loved them all, this one is my favorite. Her books are always imbued with impeccable research, making the settings and the characters' professions and pursuits sparkle with authenticity, yet never overwhelming the story.

The multiple timelines in this book, toggling between the past (1977 and going forward) and the present (2013) work very well, as events and decisions from the past reverberate in the present and force the main character, Arden, to reevaluate and come to terms with her behavior. She certainly made a lot of regrettable and often hurtful and damaging decisions, but she is nevertheless surprisingly likable as her introspection is very skillfully portrayed.

Many thanks to NetGalley, She Writes Press, and the author for an e-ARC of this wonderful book. I highly recommend it and think this would be an excellent book club choice; I'll definitely be talking it up and recommending it at my next book club meeting!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author writes in a very descriptive style, which helps the reader to visualize what the characters are involved in at any given time, as well as the beautiful scenery of Sicily. The character was at times very hard to like and therefore made for difficulty in becoming invested in her story. The peripheral characters of the story gave life to the story in so many different ways that they helped in moving the story along. The fact that Arden believes she is not a "good" person, and desperately wants to be, leads her and her story into confusion at times; and her overwhelming feelings that she is responsible for so many things going wrong in other's people's lives makes her decisions even more complicated. The secrets she finds out about her daughter and granddaughter, make her finally face her own reality. I liked the book, and actual rating would be 3.5. Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #rollthesunacrossthesky

[Jessica Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I found this book - or did it find me? A few months ago, I was shopping at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, a great indie bookstore, and I saw a stack of these books in preparation for an upcoming author event. Something made me buy it and I'm so glad I did. The character-driven style of the book reminded me of one of my favorite authors, Joyce Maynard. This book tells the story of Arden in two timelines (and I liked how the chapters were not perfectly alternating - the pacing and sprinkling of each felt right). In the past, we see Arden traveling after college in Europe and Egypt with her boyfriend and what happens to her after they break up. In the present, Arden is in her 3rd marriage and is turning 60, and she faces a devastating tragedy. This was not "trauma porn" at all - I would have hated that - but a grown-up story of a woman with human failings like all of us. I adored this and hated for my time with Arden to end.

[Patricia Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complex, well-written dual timeline (1977-2013) between sixty-year-old Arden and her twenty-something self. The settings move from Egypt to Manhattan.

Barbara Linn Probst explores her protagonist’s raw personal history with insight and grit. The story unfolds through Probst, in her usual fashion, employing in-depth research and skillfully weaving words together, creating elegant, precise, and impactful sentences. She is a skilled artisan of the craft.

Arden is not an easy woman to like. The mother-daughter conflicts are often painful and avoidable and in the end through heartrending tragedy she is only left to rebuild a life for herself and her granddaughter. Even so, there were many times I felt compassion for Arden as she acknowledged her mistakes and attempted to come to terms with the past to find redemption.
An excellent choice for Book Clubs who appreciate great debate.

[Jennifer Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, She Writes Press and Barbara Linn Probst for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of Roll the Sun Across the Sky.
This is a contemporary novel about a woman’s struggle to face her mistakes in the past along with taking responsibility for decisions she made in raising her family.
This is a dual-timeline story jumping often from past to present . I found it sometimes difficult to keep characters and events straight. The characters are well developed yet not very likable. Our main character, Arden, always justifies her poor behavior and places blame on others when she is responsible. No rules, no consequences seems to be acceptable today. Situations take a turn at the end in an effort to seek redemption. This is an entertaining story which gives you a lot to think about.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the progression of the timelines. I thought that the flow from the past to the present did transition very nicely. I found this book to be a quick read. Despite the fact that I never formed a strong connection to any of the characters.

I do have to admit that I did not find Arden endearing. I was trying to give her empathy but was finding it hard to do so. Each guy might have had their flaws, but I felt for them. It seemed like when the times got tough, Arden would throw in the towel and run away from the situation.

Even her second marriage was called a transaction. That is how Arden viewed things. Not really for love but which guy could help her at the moment. While this book might not be one of my favorites from this author, I do know that Barbara is a really good storyteller.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Arden Rice loses her family in a tragic accident. Caring for her granddaughter, Arden is now forced to come to terms with moments from her past. Have the decisions she made shaped the future of her daughter's and granddaughter's lives?

This story focuses on flashes from Arden's past and present life, taking readers on a journey through past relationships, while also incorporating chapters from Lilah's point of view. Arden was a complicated character - she was selfish at times, but you still cared about her. Unfortunately, the same can not be said about Lilah. Overall, a riveting tale of womanhood and motherhood.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of Netgalley and She Writes Press. All Opinions are my own.

[Carla Suto · Rating 5 out of 5]

ROLL THE SUN ACROSS THE SKY by Barbara Linn Probst is an emotional and thought-provoking story about a woman’s struggle to face her reckless past and find a path to redemption. Just as she reaches her sixtieth birthday, Arden Rice suffers the unexpected and tragic loss of her husband and daughter in a devastating accident. In the aftermath, she finds herself reflecting on how her decisions and actions have impacted her own life and the lives of those close to her. She feels regret and remorse for some of her selfish choices, deceptions and betrayals, but still believes she chose her path out of love for her daughter and wanting the best for her. As she learns more about her daughter’s life from the granddaughter left behind, Arden must confront her mistakes and find a positive way forward. I enjoyed this complex dual timeline story of love, grief and forgiveness and I look forward to whatever comes next from this author. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.