The Company She Keeps

Dear Reader,

Thank you for spending time with The Company She Keeps.

This novel takes place over only four days, but those four days carry the weight of an entire lifetime.

For Isabel Mathews, the story is not about beginning over. It is about stopping long enough to look honestly at the life she has already built—the people she has loved, the choices she has made, and the relationships that have shaped her in ways she may not always have recognized.

At the center of that reflection is Raymond Walker.

Isabel has always valued her independence, but Raymond forces her to examine the difference between being independent and keeping people at a distance. Their relationship is complicated not because either of them can easily explain what they mean to each other, but because some connections resist simple definitions.

I wanted The Company She Keeps to explore how much can happen emotionally in a very short period of time. Four days can reopen old memories, change the meaning of familiar relationships, and force us to confront truths we may have avoided for years.

The title also speaks to one of the larger ideas behind the Black Springs Universe: none of us becomes who we are alone. Friends, lovers, family, colleagues, and even people who pass briefly through our lives leave something behind.

Isabel is very much her own woman, but she is also the product of the people she has known, loved, challenged, forgiven, and lost.

I hope these four days with Isabel remind you to think about the people who have helped shape your own story.

Sometimes understanding ourselves begins with understanding the company we keep.

Thank you for spending these four days with Isabel.