Local Author Patricia Averbach Writes Her First Novel

Patricia Averbach is a local author and poet who has written her first novel.  Painting Bridges is a moving story about a young widow and her struggle to move past the recent loss of her husband and young daughter.

The story centers around a relationship the woman develops with a young deaf girl who resembles the daughter she lost.  It was intentionally set in the time just before public schools were required to provide special education to children with challenges.

Patricia is a trained speech pathologist and a former director of the Chautauqua Writer's Center, where she says she got her inspiration to write the novel.  The setting moves between small-town western New York state and Cleveland.  Patricia is working on a second novel which will also feature Cleveland as part of its setting.