(W)hole

Book Synopsis: Stewart Masterson was a champion surfer before he lost the use of his legs. Now he's hiding from his past and remaking his life, but he can't escape his own guilt so easily. Only three people in the world know the truth about how he became paralyzed and Stewart plans to keep it that way.

Elizabeth Foster is a young woman with a promising future. She has the perfect family in a nice neighborhood and she is getting ready to graduate from high school and begin her life. The only problem is a dark secret that she has kept hidden all her life. No one would ever guess that the quiet and shy girl is physically attracted to men with disabilities. After years of trying to make it go away, Elizabeth comes face to face with the paraplegic man of her dreams and can fight it no longer. As they begin a relationship, she works hard to keep him from finding out the truth about her initial interest. But she can't hide it forever.

Their relationship is based on secrets but together they will begin a terrifying journey of self-discovery. Will Elizabeth and Stewart learn to accept the broken parts in themselves and each other? Will they be able to re-define what it means to be whole or will fear and guilt drive them apart?

The first of its kind, novelist Ruth Madison brings us the story of the relationship between a paraplegic man and devotee woman.

The book was an award finalist in the romance category of the USA Book News's National Best Books Awards in 2009

Referenced in Savage Love by Dan Savage, Letter of the Day, July 12th, 2012

The synopsis won an honorable mention from the Byline Novel Synopsis contest

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