On Tour 02/02/26-03/04/26 “Her Daughter” by Fran Hawthorne

Release Date: January 22, 2026

About The Book:

“I’m only telling you in case the police contact you. Esme was arrested, but I’m handling everything, and she doesn’t want to hear from you.”

That email from her ex-husband is almost the only information Alice Wilson has had about her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Esme, in the six years since Esme abruptly ended all communication.

As Alice, an environmental activist, scrambles to learn why Esme was arrested and what might happen next, she inevitably also rethinks the past. Her obsessive search up and down the California coast antagonizes her friends and jeopardizes her job. But none of that matters to Alice as she uncovers hints of a daughter she’d never known-and of her then-husband’s role in their estrangement, even while they were married.

Who is the Robert Corning who was arrested with Esme, and why did she pay his bail? Why did Esme become bulimic in college? Why is she continuing to push Alice away while still being chummy with her father? Most importantly, will Esme agree to meet with Alice? And if she does, will Alice say the wrong thing-whatever that wrong thing is?

About The Author:

As an award-winning nonfiction author, journalist, and fiction writer, Fran has traveled from Switzerland to Washington DC, from Maine to California, investigating the pharmaceutical industry, hanging out in high school classrooms, and exploring second-generation Holocaust guilt (among other topics). When she’s not seeking the right words, Fran runs seven miles a day, volunteers at a 200-year-old New York history museum, studies French and Hebrew, and helps clear trash at her local park.In her research for Her Daughter, Fran drove through the winding mountain roads of a national forest while dictating scenic descriptions into her tape recorder-finally speeding back downhill to catch the last flight out of Arcata-Eureka Airport.

https://www.hawthornewriter.com/

Social Media:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/hawthornewriter

Book Blurbs:

“About parenthood, love, the mystery of estrangement and hope of reconciliation, this novel is a stunner” -Caroline Leavitt, New York Times best-selling author of Pictures of You and Days of Wonder

In the wake of an acrimonious divorce, Alice becomes estranged from her daughter, Esme, and grows increasingly desperate to reconnect, risking her career and friendships… Part mystery, part family drama, Her Daughter is a poignant, page-turning, emotional read.” -Jennifer Rosner, National Jewish Book Award finalist and author of The Yellow Bird Sings and Once We Were Home

“To read Her Daughter is to explore the relentless pain and self-doubt of a mother’s estrangement from her only child, especially as the father’s vengeful lies keep blocking every pathway to connection.” -Mary Ann McGuigan, National Book Award finalist (1997) and author of That Very Place

“A true page-turner! I was captivated by the richly drawn characters and gripping story, and I’m looking forward to reading much more from Fran Hawthorne.” -David Heska Wanbli Weiden, award-winning author of Winter Counts and Wisdom Corner

A deep dive into the pain of separation and hope for reconciliation conveyed with grace, realism, and empathy.” KIRKUS REVIEWS

Bloggers On Tour:

Feb. 2nd- Lindas Book Obsession https://www.facebook.com/lindasbookobsession/

Feb. 8th- Plains Reading https://instagram.com/plains_reading

Feb. 8th – Books and Coffee MX https://instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx

Feb. 11th- Sarahs Bookish Reviews https://instagram.com/sarahs.bookish.reviews

Feb. 12th- Marilyn Goncalves https://instagram.com/marilynjgon

Feb. 18th- Crafty Jenn Reads https://instagram.com/crafty.jenn.reads

Feb. 19th- CMT Loves Wine and Books https://instagram.com/cmtloveswineandbooks

Feb. 19th -Sarahs Bookstack https://instagram.com/sarahs.bookstack

Feb. 20th- Books Love And Understanding https://instagram.com/booksloveandunderstanding

Feb. 20th- One More Exclamation https://instagram.com/onemoreexclamation