Wait for Me

by Amy Jo Burns

From the author of Mercury and Shiner comes a novel about the bond between two female folk singers, the love stories that haunt them, and the music that brings them together to burn bright.

Young folk singer Elle Harlow reaches the height of her prowess in 1973, with two wildly beloved albums to her name and a hidden history of impossible heartbreak. When she sets foot on the famed Grand Ole Opry stage, a far cry from the mountain that raised her, Elle gives the biggest performance of her life. Then, to the dismay of shocked fans, her producer, and the man who still loves her, she vanishes.

Almost two decades later, eighteen-year-old Marijohn Shaw is spending her summer pumping gas, writing songs on her broken mandolin, and longing for a mother. Her father, Abe, has always sworn he was the last person to see Elle Harlow alive, but when a meteor strikes the woods of their sleepy Pennsylvania town and a piece of Elle’s past emerges from the wreckage, the truth of her disappearance sets fire to everything Marijohn believes about herself, her music, and her ability to love with abandon.

Wait for Me exalts the lush hills of Appalachia and the bright lights of Nashville as it reveals the legacy of Elle Harlow, the bold voice that defined her, the intimate betrayal that undid her, and the unexpected faith of another young woman determined to resurrect her.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Adult Fiction, Music

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 3, 2026

About the author

Amy Jo Burns is the author of the memoir Cinderland and the novel Shiner, which was a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick, NPR Best Book of the year, a Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club selection, and “told in language as incandescent as smoldering coal,” according to The New York Times. Her writing has appeared in The Paris Review Daily, Tin House, Elle, Good Housekeeping, Ploughshares, Electric Literature, Literary Hub, and the anthology Not That Bad.

Her next novel, Mercury, is forthcoming in January 2024. You can find her on Instagram at @burnsamyjo.

Reviews

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Annissa Joy Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved SHINER and MERCURY by Amy Jo Burns but WAIT FOR ME quickly become my favorite Amy Jo book!!! Love the cover and the story inside.

Elle Harlow grows up in the mountains and it’s not an easy like. She spends a lot time with Merry, the healer and learns a lot from her. Elle wants to record music and goes to Nashville with money for a certain amount of time. She has to return home without a record deal but she learns a lot and will be back!! After 2 successful albums, Elle disappears.

Marijohn works at the gas station her father runs but she wants more!! She sings and plays music with her friend Laz but he is leaving soon for college. College is not in the cards for her but meeting someone will change her life.

There are lots of lyrics in this book and it reads like poetry to the ears!! There are lots of secrets, romance, betrayal and so much more!! This one is available on 3/3/26 so get it preordered!!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilled to see this one coming next year. Was immediately hooked - felt like part Coal Miner’s Daughter, part Daisy Jones, part Hamnet(?? Maybe because of the strong ‘healer/mountain/woodsy vibes?) maybe even a little bit of Taylor Swift? Either way - I was sucked in from the beginning. There are TWO love story arcs that just made my day - if you removed the band from Daisy Jones and took the love story & set it in Nashville…that’s close to what you’ll get here.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Stacy40pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns. Thanks to @celadonbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Folk singer Elle Harlow disappeared at her height in 1973. Now decades later, young songwriter Marijohn Shaw’s past emerges when a meteor strikes her sleepy Pennsylvania town.

I loved Mercury and I loved this one as well, despite how different they were. Amy Jo Burns has a way with language that makes you want to slow down and absorb every sentence. She is a poet and song writer, which really makes this one work because it’s full of song lyrics that hit the heart, especially once you know the story.

“What truly bound two lives together? It wasn’t just blood, or time, or secrets. Sometimes it was forged in the unlikely inheritance of lost objects. Found histories. Mistakes and regrets reborn into second chances in the early-morning light.”

Wait for Me comes out 3/3.

[Matt Chisling (MattyandtheBooks)]

no but like the way I will be SICK when this arrives in my home.

[CynnieRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful jewel box of a book.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story. 1973-Elle Harlow is a young folk singer who grew up in the mountains. She sets the world ablaze with her performance at the Grand Ole Opry, and then disappears. What happened?

Marijohn Shawn is living life almost two decades later a formative figure in her life. Her dad Abe, tells her he was the last to see Elle years ago. A meteor strikes the woods and something is discovered which might lead to find out what happened to Elle. How do these two women connect? Nothing like Nashville to set the hearts and dreams of singers.

Someone’s legacy is important and sometimes it is not how you think it will be. A moving novel. Secrets, promises and legacy.

Thank you Celadon for the advanced copy.

[Reca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book that is a dual timeline following country star Elle Harlow in the early 1970s before she vanishes without a trace and also follows Marijohn in 1991 after a meteor brings up something that could be Elle’s. I loved the look back at the country music world and the complicated lives of both women.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went in blind having loved the ARC cover and skimming the back, then promptly forgot what I read so everything was unexpected that happened. The writing is poetic and lush and the characters are deeply flawed and real. And loved the lyrics.

[Susie Brustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so glad I picked this up.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to @CeladonBooks for the advanced copy of Wait For Me!

Amy Jo Burns's latest novel has the same remarkable writing that her readers have come to expect. Her style of writing really paints a picture for the reader, immersing them in the experience of the book without being overly verbose or dragging on with excess adjectives… Her writing is some of my absolute favorite, and I can seriously get lost in it!! This story follows two women who are bound together by mystery, their love of music, and their willingness to go to whatever length it takes to find the answers they need. Fans of Daisy Jones and the Six as well as Amy Joe Burns's previous novels will love Wait For Me!