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“Evoking Emmy limited-series winner Big Little Lies, Whalen’s novel is about a Georgia town ripped apart when an outcast boy kills three cheerleaders in a car accident, bringing secrets and simmering tensions to the surface.” —The Hollywood Reporter
When the sound of sirens cuts through a cool fall night, the small town of Worthy, Georgia, hurtles from triumph to tragedy. Just hours before, they’d watched the Wildcats score a winning touchdown. Now, they’re faced with the deaths of three cheerleaders—their promising lives cut short in a fatal crash. And the boy in the other car—the only one to survive—is believed to be at fault. As rumors begin to fly and accusations spin, allegiances form and long-kept secrets emerge.
At the center of the whirlwind are four women, each grappling with loss, regret, shame, and lies: Marglyn, a grieving mother; Darcy, whose son had been behind the wheel; Ava, a substitute teacher with a scandalous secret; and Leah, a cheerleader who should have been in the car with her friends, but wasn’t. If the truth comes out, will it bring redemption—or will it be their downfall?
Genre: Literary Fiction
When the sound of sirens cuts through a cool fall night, the small town of Worthy, Georgia, hurtles from triumph to tragedy. Just hours before, they’d watched the Wildcats score a winning touchdown. Now, they’re faced with the deaths of three cheerleaders—their promising lives cut short in a fatal crash. And the boy in the other car—the only one to survive—is believed to be at fault. As rumors begin to fly and accusations spin, allegiances form and long-kept secrets emerge.
At the center of the whirlwind are four women, each grappling with loss, regret, shame, and lies: Marglyn, a grieving mother; Darcy, whose son had been behind the wheel; Ava, a substitute teacher with a scandalous secret; and Leah, a cheerleader who should have been in the car with her friends, but wasn’t. If the truth comes out, will it bring redemption—or will it be their downfall?
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"What do you do when your whole life is turned around, crushed, and destroyed? Do you rise above it? Do you seek revenge? Do you run away? Do you blame yourself? When We Were Worthy is a brilliant, gripping novel that challenges the fabric of who we think we are, a story that speaks to both the fragility and strength of the human spirit in the wake of tragedy. I highly, highly recommend this novel!" - Joy Callaway
"In When We Were Worthy, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen expertly weaves a haunting story of a small town ripped apart by tragedy. Narrated by four women - each with unique ties to the victims of a terrible car crash - each revealing secrets and lies that will make you second-guess everyone and everything. Written with heart and a splash of southern spice, When We Were Worthy is both charming and powerful." - Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
"Fans of Liane Moriarty and Jodi Picoult - this is an author for your favorites shelf. Marybeth Mayhew Whalen’s taut, smart novel is a natural-born page-turner that doesn’t sacrifice depth of feeling or character. Whalen knows this town, these people, and she lays them open for us with razor-sharp insight, wit, and empathy. Don’t miss this one." - Joshilyn Jackson
"Not everyone who lives in Worthy, Georgia lives up to the name. In When We Were Worthy, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen explores the spectrum of guilt and innocence in one small town after the tenuous connections between neighbors and friends are tested by a horrific accident. Told in alternating voices, this compulsively captivating novel weaves a tapestry of wrenching grief, love, anger, danger, and, eventually, hope." - Ella Joy Olsen
"When We Were Worthy is a poignant, haunting story of truths and secrets - the power of tragedy to unravel an entire community, and then stitch it back together - I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough." - Amber Smith
"Heart-wrenching and vivid." - Karen White
"In When We Were Worthy, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen expertly weaves a haunting story of a small town ripped apart by tragedy. Narrated by four women - each with unique ties to the victims of a terrible car crash - each revealing secrets and lies that will make you second-guess everyone and everything. Written with heart and a splash of southern spice, When We Were Worthy is both charming and powerful." - Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
"Fans of Liane Moriarty and Jodi Picoult - this is an author for your favorites shelf. Marybeth Mayhew Whalen’s taut, smart novel is a natural-born page-turner that doesn’t sacrifice depth of feeling or character. Whalen knows this town, these people, and she lays them open for us with razor-sharp insight, wit, and empathy. Don’t miss this one." - Joshilyn Jackson
"Not everyone who lives in Worthy, Georgia lives up to the name. In When We Were Worthy, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen explores the spectrum of guilt and innocence in one small town after the tenuous connections between neighbors and friends are tested by a horrific accident. Told in alternating voices, this compulsively captivating novel weaves a tapestry of wrenching grief, love, anger, danger, and, eventually, hope." - Ella Joy Olsen
"When We Were Worthy is a poignant, haunting story of truths and secrets - the power of tragedy to unravel an entire community, and then stitch it back together - I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough." - Amber Smith
"Heart-wrenching and vivid." - Karen White
Used availability for Marybeth Mayhew Whalen's When We Were Worthy