Intersections: A Novel

by Karen F. Uhlmann Narrated by Brittany Wilkerson, Carlotta Brentan

Overview

Style-guru Charlotte Oakes sells beautiful lifestyles, but her mentally ill daughter is an addict, her long marriage is dead, and she is pregnant with her ex-lover's baby. Stunned after witnessing a hit-and-run in Chicago that leaves a child dead, Charlotte thinks she sees her Prius fleeing the scene. Her troubled daughter, Libby, is the only one who could have been driving.

His partner and best friend killed in a drug bust, police officer Ed Kelly learns that forensics has found that the fatal bullet came from Ed's gun. Under internal investigation, Ed copes by filming cars at the site of the recent hit-and-run, hoping to catch the child's killer. There, he notices Charlotte's pilgrimages to the makeshift memorial, and over the weeks, the two become unlikely friends sharing intimate stories. But Charlotte won't trust him with her most vulnerable secret of all: her suspicions about her daughter's involvement in the accident.

When Ed finally learns the truth about the accident, he struggles with his beliefs and duties. If he keeps quiet, he has breached his commitment to the law. But if he does the right thing as an officer, he may send Libby to jail-and lose Charlotte.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The thoughtful novel Intersections undertakes a compelling exploration of unexpected friendships and hard choices.”—Foreword Reviews

“Uhlmann is an experienced writer whose characters ring true: the resourceful Charlotte who slowly finds the courage to rethink her life and Ed, a good guy who is not all that sensitive or intuitive, but kind beyond measure. The title is apt in many ways: We are talking about more than cross streets.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Intersections is a compelling read about two truths: life is complicated, and it can change in an instant. Karen Uhlmann captures the intersection of now and then with this readable story of loss, grief, love, and redemption. The subject is serious, but the prose are smooth and accessible. Readers are plunged right in the messy and human world of the characters, and we can’t stop reading. Intersections is a book that will get your book club talking long after the wine is gone!” —Lian Dolan, best-selling author of The Sweeney Sisters and The Marriage Sabbatical

“Intersections takes you on a journey that begins with a heartbreaking death and ends with a whole new life. Along the way, secrets force surprising detours that make the reader wrestle with questions of true moral complexity, even as they turn the pages faster and faster. I was left marveling at Karen Uhlmann’s ability to transport me so completely into the lives of her flawed but heroic characters.”—Lorna Graham, author of Where You Once Belonged

“You wouldn't expect a writer of such crystalline elegance to be able to crank up the tension but crank it up Uhlmann does—and in deliciously unpredictable ways.”—Deborah Michel is the author of Prosper in Love

“I was hooked from the first page by this compelling, propulsive, and moving story of families dissolving, building, loving, hating, and evolving amidst the moral dilemmas that define our era.”—Lori Andrews is the author of 11 non-fiction books and three mystery novels: Sequence, The Silent Assassin, and Immunity

“In this intriguing debut, Intersections offers a contemporary eye on family, infidelity, and fertility, illuminating both the burdens and blessings of mistakes, and the sometimes-messy path to grace. Karen Uhlmann’s sharp-eyed take on the complicated lives of two Chicago families illustrates effectively the intersection between truth-telling, justice, and the power of love. In every chapter, Uhlmann brings to the page a cross-cut of voices from the Windy City, rendering tension with care and precision that keeps you guessing until the very end.”—Erica Plouffe Lazure, author of Proof of Me and Other Stories

Kirkus Reviews

2025-01-28
A tragic hit-and-run death brings together a woman with a failed marriage and a cop with troubles of his own.

Charlotte Oakes is walking in her Chicago neighborhood when a little girl runs into the street and is struck and killed by a car that looks awfully like her own, a car that doesn’t stop. Did her daughter, Libby, borrow her car? Libby, who struggles with OCD and addiction issues, has always been a cross to bear. And Charlotte and her husband, Daniel, are in a marriage that died long ago. Another witness is Ed Kelly, a Chicago cop. He was recently wounded—and his partner killed—in a showdown with a drug dealer. And now it looks as though it was a bullet from his own gun that killed Tommy, so Ed is on paid leave, which he uses to stake out the intersection and try to find the mystery car. On separate missions—Charlotte, bereft over the little girl and hoping that the car was not hers, and Ed, determined to break this case—both visit the site almost daily and eventually become friends. Meanwhile, Charlotte has had an affair and is pregnant. And Ed’s daughter and her husband are so desperate for a child that she persuades her mother to be a surrogate. So, we have two good people facing a ton of challenges. Charlotte finally tells Daniel, who, surprisingly, offers to accept the child and save the marriage, but will Charlotte stay? This story is about a search for the rogue driver and Charlotte and Ed, who slowly work through a lot of issues, trying to accommodate what life—and new life—has thrown at them. Uhlmann is an experienced writer whose characters ring true: the resourceful Charlotte who slowly finds the courage to rethink her life and Ed, a good guy who is not all that sensitive or intuitive, but kind beyond measure. The title is apt in many ways: We are talking about more than cross streets.

A very satisfying novel with two intriguing leads who strive to live ethically.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940195451110
Publisher:	Lantern Audio
Publication date:	07/11/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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