The Falling Woman: A Novel

Erin Geraghty has been through a lot—a cooling marriage, being a mother to twins, a passionate affair, and, horrifically, a cancer diagnosis that she knows will cut her life grotesquely short. Needing time and space to reflect, she heads to a cancer-survivors group. Then the impossible happens: Erin’s plane explodes in mid-air, and Erin survives, falling to the ground and landing in a barn in Kansas. Nearby, a group of aviation investigators are desperate to determine the cause of the crash—and to find the falling woman to debunk what they see as a sensational and damaging story that’s just making it harder for families to grieve. Charlie Radford, an investigator determined to make a name for himself in the agency, is given the task of finding this woman—an assignment that brings ridicule and resentment from his colleagues. What Charlie doesn’t know is that the falling woman has more to offer him than simply answers to his research questions—his encounter with her will change his life.

The novel opens with Erin’s fall, and the breathless introduction sets Farrell’s propulsive, emotional story in motion. Though Erin’s choices may not immediately align with societal expectations, it’s her commitment to her own beliefs—and her deep instinct to do what’s best for her family—that will pull readers into her corner. Both Erin and Charlie have so much to lose, but their empathy ultimately leads them to gain more than they risk.