In Goodbye Earl, listeners are immersed in the world of four childhood best friends who realize, as they reconnect at a wedding, that one of them is in grave danger. The sinister situation begs the question—just how far will these friends go to protect each other? We caught up with author Leesa Cross-Smith to talk about dark relationships and the lasting, life-affirming friendships that can let the light in.

Audible: Goodbye Earl is a dual-timeline revenge story on its surface, but in the end, the real arc of the novel is about the enduring power of female friendship. What were you trying to show by centering friendship above other types of relationships?

Leesa Cross-Smith: I really set out to focus on the importance of friendship—how good friends can be life changing and life saving! I have always loved, depended upon, and cherished the girlfriendships in my life and am such a firm believer in the power of female friendship. Centering and celebrating those relationships in Goodbye Earl was so natural and fun for me—I'm so excited about readers passing this book along to their best friends! I was inspired by the friendship books I loved reading in the summers when I was younger. I also really hope Goodbye Earl inspires nostalgia for the best friendships of the past too. I loved writing the women in this book both as teenagers and as adults, charting the ebbs and flows of friendship.

This is your fourth novel and sixth book. What inspired you to write about the nature of abusive relationships now?

I love writing about women and for women. I write about complicated women and relationships in all of my books, but this book allowed me to approach writing about abusive relationships in a different, important way. Since this is a story about revenge, it allowed me to dig into the horrors and darkness of abusive relationships, knowing I could write it the way I wanted and let the women win. Such is not always the case in real life, but in this fictional world I could control, it felt important for me to allow the women to find hope—together!— and have the final say.

What do you hope listeners will take away from Goodbye Earl? 

I hope this book inspires them to tell their best friends they love them. I hope it inspires them to set aside some time to sit on the front porch with their favorite icy drink and a piece of their favorite pie and listen to their favorite songs. I hope listeners are inspired by the big, big loves in the book and how these women never ever give up on one another. Every woman in this novel is uniquely strong in her own way. 

Is there a specific character you see yourself in?

In terms of personality, I am the most like Kasey and Rosemarie, but I do love baking pies like Caroline and I am a mom married to my high school sweetheart like Ada too, so I really can find a way to connect to all four of them. There are also little pieces of the women I love in these characters. Caro's red hair and Ada's knack for scheduling everything—those little bits belong to some of my favorite women in my life, and I loved weaving them into the story.

In this novel, an abusive man gets what he deserves. This is obviously not the case for all the horrible "Earls" out there. What advice do you have for listeners who have to reckon with the fact that their "Earl" is still out in the world?

Oh wow, what a question. To those listeners I'll say that they are loved deeply and that they're not alone. And although life is life and not fiction, my prayer is that they're safely surrounded by love and support like the women in the book. I'll also add hold fast—to your hope and your dreams, and never let anyone diminish them because they matter in a big way and so do you.