Libraries

ABOUT THE BOOK

“A strong debut with compelling characters that passionately advocates for community, nature, and found family.” - Kirkus Starred Review

What if choosing yourself over your expected role was actually what saved everyone?

At forty-seven, tech entrepreneur August Monk has built her life around being indispensable—until perimenopause disrupts her body, her marriage fractures, and her company hemorrhages money. On a desperate family holiday in England, a sip of ancient beer at Shepherd Neame brewery transports her to an alternate reality where mushrooms pulse with mystical power and women commune with vast fungal networks beneath their feet.

Taken in by Margaret, a midwife protecting ancient feminine wisdom from religious persecution, August discovers a world where brewing beer might be her bridge home—or her reason to stay. When Margaret's community faces destruction, August must choose between two families, two worlds, two versions of herself.

Thread Traveller explores the radical possibility that midlife transformation isn't a crisis but awakening, echoing the speculative brilliance of Margaret Atwood and Ursula K. Le Guin. This luminous debut shows what happens when we finally put ourselves first—and discover we're still loveable.

WHY LIBRARIANS WILL LOVE IT

• Starred Kirkus review

• Appeals to readers seeking meaningful, emotionally honest fiction

• A fresh, non-clichéd take on midlife and identity

• Cross-genre appeal for literary fiction, speculative fiction, and book club readers

• Accessible, beautifully written, and highly discussable

AUTHOR BIO

Annabel Youens originally studied creative writing at the University of Victoria before falling into "her own alternate dimension"—the world of tech. As employee #11 at Abebooks.com and co-founder of two global startups, she spent twenty years building companies before returning to her first love: storytelling.

At age 46, she resigned her Chief Marketing Officer position to pursue her authorial dreams, founding Salt Line Press and completing her debut novel. Thread Traveller explores themes close to her heart: the possibility of reinvention at any age, the cost of putting everyone else first, and the radical act of choosing yourself.