Caitlin's new novel The Gulf of Lions is an evocative, standalone sequel to Pete and Alice in Maine (2023), in which Alice, who is recovering from the trauma of breast cancer and a mastectomy, takes a once-in-a-lifetime trip across France with her two daughters, determined to recapture her joie de vivre and to live to the absolute fullest. There, Alice finds herself newly awakened by beauty and desire—but when the trip takes a turn for the worse, she must decide between a life of pleasure or the deep tethering of family.

This is a page-turning novel that our shop's publicist, Nancy, recently read in its entirety on a flight from the U.S. to France. Novelist Christina Baker Kline writes of The Gulf of Lions: "A wry, aching, life-affirming novel about cancer, motherhood, and the mess of being human. Caitlin Shetterly writes with unsparing honesty and grace. A tour de force."

Caitlin's story about how this novel came into being, and the unexpected and almost-unbelievable personal experience she had while writing it, is moving and memorable. We hope you can join us for a very special talk.

Caitlin's most recent book was Pete and Alice in Maine. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, and Elle, as well as on Oprah.com, This American Life, and Weekend Edition. She is an editor-at-large for Frenchly, a French arts and culture online news magazine. A Maine native, Caitlin graduated with honors from Brown University.