Mary Varilek asked Susan Donovan Bernhard:

I loved "Winter Loon" so much. The character of Wes and his journey was so heartbreaking. Will there be a sequel?

Susan Donovan Bernhard Hi Mary,
I'm thrilled to hear that Winter Loon and Wes' story resonated with you! I still think of Wes and Jolene, and wonder where the story might have taken them. But, no, there won't be a sequel. (Spoiler Alert! Don't read further if you don't want to know how it ends!) The book ends with Wes finally free of the tremendous weight that he's carried with him for so much of his life. Any future I could imagine for Wes and Jolene together could definitely be filled with all sorts of joy but, in fiction as in real life, heartbreak comes with that joy. I didn't want to imagine any more heartbreak for Wes. I liked him there, back at Bright Lake, floating free, waiting for Jolene. It felt peaceful to me and I thought he deserved that. Thanks so much for the question!

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