2007 Winner

Before I Go is a touching story of family, love and the will of the human spirit. It centers on the relationship of Annie, an ice skating coach who gave up on her dream long ago, and young Olympic hopeful, Madison Henry. What makes this team different from the rest is Annie and Madison also happen to be mother and daughter. Madison Henry has been skating almost as long as she’s been walking. She is living her dream and on her way to the Olympics. She’s had only one friend since she was six years old, Jack. Now at sixteen, she is completely oblivious to his deep feelings for her. There has been no time for anything but skating for as long as she can remember. When tragedy strikes unexpectedly, Madison is forced to look at her life in a different way and accept one without skating. Only after Madison opens her heart entirely does she understand the magnitude of the sacrifices Annie made, realize the depth of Jack’s love and know in her heart that she was blessed in every way. Before I Go spotlights the thrill of women’s ice skating, the unbreakable bond a mother and daughter share and the one true love every person hopes to experience in their lifetime.

To see this years short list and past winners please visit the Independent Publisher Book Awards site