A love story with a point of view, The Reverse Commute is a tale of two women working at the same company when their lives become intertwined by a tragic event at their annual picnic. Sophie is a forty nine year old woman struggling to hold onto her marriage amidst the pressures of work, family and the times she lives in. Meanwhile, in the same office, a young girl in her mid-twenties is experiencing the joy of falling in love. The narrative is made up of shifting memories that cross through time-yesterday, tomorrow and today. With humor and poignancy, the chapters are juxtaposed between the two characters' stories. Both women are dreamers struggling to fit into corporate jobs, feeling trapped in the routine work they do in their cubicles. Sophie’s story is rooted in the difficulties of the middle class during the summer and winter of 2011-2012. The politics of the day play out in the background of her life. The young girl’s story unfolds like a fairy tale, beginning in the winter of 2011 and working towards the summer picnic several months later where Sophie’s story began. Her love story is also filled with amusing social commentary on being a recession era college graduate. In a world where the American Dream no longer seems attainable, they both try to gain some control over fulfilling their personal dreams of what happiness and success really means.

Sheila Blanchette grew up in Warwick, RI and attended Pilgrim High School. After graduating from Bentley University, she bounced around in various accounting jobs for almost thirty years until she found her voice and began to write. Currently she is living in New Hampshire with her husband Rich and pursuing her dreams. She still wishes on stars.