What if the life you were meant to live was waiting just outside your door?

New York City, 2013. Emma Jablonski’s life is as dry as the day-old bread at her family’s bakery. Living with her parents and grandmother, she clings to the only escape she knows: a recurring dream that feels more real than her waking world. But when Emma’s eyes are open, she’s reminded of what’s out of reach—Jake, the enigmatic boy-next-door.

After a life-changing diagnosis forces her to face her fears, Emma decides it’s time to truly live—before it’s too late. With Jake and his vibrant friend Vee, she dives into a whirlwind of experiences: a fake engagement, dazzling parties, and an obsession with the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird that may not even exist.

But as her daring adventure is coming to an end, Emma begins to embrace a future she never thought possible. Dreams and reality aren’t supposed to mix . . . are they?

A modern retelling of L.M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle, this gentle story of love, resilience, and the beauty of the unknown reminds us to seek joy in the most unexpected places.

AUTHOR BIO
Andrea Ezerins grew up in the small town where she was raised on a small hobby farm. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at University of Connecticut, and went on to spend thirty years working in the insurance industry. She finished Again and Again Back to You, a labor of love, thanks in no small part to the pandemic and an empty nest, where distractions suddenly were reduced to only a spoiled German shepherd and the many bluebird families that nest in her boxes. Andrea has two daughters and identical twin sons. She resides in Hebron, Connecticut, with her husband.