4.8 stars from readers on Amazon
A Walk Down Rushville
A novel by Barbara Burton
She went out to walk the dog.She came home a witness.Then the neighbors stepped in.
Skyler rebuilt her quiet life alone, until one late walk down Rushville Street made her the only witness to a crime. Her story is for anyone who has had to build a family of their own.
Read the first chapter freeOrder a signed copy
Paperback, ebook, and audiobook, read by Barbara herself. Signed copies ship from La Jolla.
- 4.8 stars from Amazon readers
- Top 50 Amazon audiobook bestseller, Women's Adventure Fiction, April 2026
- Audiobook read by the author
- Adapted for the screen, now in producer talks
- Inspired a real nonprofit: Neighbors as Family
Psychological suspense. Women's fiction. One story.
A story about the family we are given, and the family we choose
A Walk Down Rushville explores the meaning of family, the family of origin and the adopted or created family. It follows one woman's journey to free herself from the pain of an abusive birth family and embrace the love and support of her neighbors.
Separation from family is a quiet epidemic. On the west coast alone, only half of adults live near their extended families, and the loneliness that follows takes a real toll on health. Set in California, North Carolina, and Italy, the novel follows forty-nine-year-old Skyler as she faces loneliness, loss, and the work of building a support system rooted in love.
It is a book about the power of saying yes. Yes to courage you did not know you had, yes to the people who can and do love you, yes to a life of joy that may be right in front of you.
In paperback and Kindle, and free to read on Kindle Unlimited.
Where the story travels
Southern California
Edenton, North Carolina
Ischia, Italy
“With vivid descriptions, distinctive characters, and sudden plot twists, Burton mixes the heart-pounding pace of crime fiction with a character-driven journey of the heart to create an unforgettable story.”
Tom Sanger, author of Without Warning
Read the first chapter free
Skyler and Mousse's shoreline walk, from the novel trailer, filmed on the La Jolla coast that inspired the cover.
Meet Skyler
One late-night walk changes everything
Skyler is a reclusive, grieving widow in a small home in southern California. She walks her black lab at night to find peace and to escape thoughts of her family and the death of her husband. One night, on her regular walk down Rushville Street, she witnesses a crime, and looks straight into the eyes of the man responsible.
Then a call comes from Edenton, North Carolina. Her mother is dying, and the family that never supported her needs her now. What follows is a story of courage, from depression, fear, and grief toward self-discovery, and toward a whole new family she can call her own.
What readers are saying
A page turner, with heart
More than one reader has compared Skyler's journey to Eat, Pray, Love. Here is what they say in their own words.
Reading A Walk Down Rushville felt like stepping into a town full of charm and hidden secrets. Burton's storytelling pulls you into the heart of a grieving widow, whose quiet rhythms of life take a dark turn when she witnesses a shocking crime. The way Burton balances the warmth of finding a chosen family amidst the tension of an unraveling mystery kept me hooked.
I understand the concept of the main character self-isolating, perhaps even resenting people around her who were friendly. In the novel, I saw Skyler as coming to the realization that if people love me and if I accept their love, it can become real.
It is surprisingly filled with unexpected suspense and drama to keep the reader thoroughly engaged. The author's beautiful writing style and descriptive language make this book a pleasure to read and will help anyone who searches for ways to achieve happiness in life amidst overwhelming obstacles.
A must read! I loved the main character Skyler's journey and evolution! Edge of my seat at times with suspense and then rewarded with emotionally deep relationships. The ending left me very satisfied.
A fast-paced, inspiring read. A shy widow, Skyler is forced to move from self-isolation in order to regain the balance she lost when her beloved husband died. Along the way she befriends, and is befriended by, a group of neighbors whose care and concern shore up her confidence and spur her sense of adventure.
It reminded me of Eat, Pray, Love as it was the story of a woman's journey to self-discovery and self-love.
Reviews help a debut novel get found. If the book stayed with you, a few words on Amazon go a long way.
Readers ask
Is this book for you?
The honest answers, including what the book is not.
What is A Walk Down Rushville about?
A Walk Down Rushville is a contemporary novel by Barbara Burton. Skyler Bennett is a widow living quietly on the Southern California coast when a late-night walk with her dog makes her the only witness to a crime. What follows pulls her out of isolation, across the country to the family she was born into, and eventually to Italy, where she learns a different definition of family.
What genre is A Walk Down Rushville?
It sits between psychological suspense and contemporary women's fiction. There is a crime and a real mystery running underneath, but the heart of the book is one woman's journey from grief and isolation to courage and belonging. Readers who want pure thriller pacing or pure cozy romance will find it is neither.
Who will enjoy this book?
Readers who like character-driven stories about found family, second chances, and starting over in midlife, with enough mystery to keep the pages turning. It suits anyone drawn to stories about neighbors becoming family, and to travel-rich fiction set in beautiful places. Several readers have compared it to Eat, Pray, Love for its arc of self-discovery.
Where is A Walk Down Rushville set?
Three places: a small beach town on the Southern California coast, Edenton in North Carolina, and the island of Ischia off the coast of Italy. The settings carry the story, and readers regularly say the descriptions made them feel like they were walking alongside Skyler.
Is it a series or a standalone?
It is a standalone novel and Barbara Burton's debut adult fiction. You can read it without any other book. Readers ask often for a sequel.
Is there an audiobook?
Yes. Barbara Burton narrates the audiobook herself. It runs 7 hours and 42 minutes and is available on Audible. The book is also sold in paperback and ebook, and it is available through Kindle Unlimited.
How long is the book?
The paperback runs 299 pages, published by New Degree Press. Most readers finish it in a few sittings and describe it as hard to put down.
Is the book graphic or violent?
No. A violent crime happens early and drives the plot, but it is not described in gory detail, and the book is suspenseful rather than graphic. It does deal honestly with grief, depression, and an unloving family of origin, so readers sensitive to those themes should know they are in the story.
Is A Walk Down Rushville good for book clubs?
Yes, and it is one of the most common ways the book gets read. Barbara offers a free discussion guide, club pricing on signed copies ordered directly, and she joins club meetings by video or in person around Southern California.
Who is Barbara Burton?
Barbara Burton is a novelist living on the coast in La Jolla, California. She was a Capitol Hill reporter and a registered nurse before she wrote fiction, and that reporting background shows in the book's clean, vivid writing. The novel also inspired her nonprofit, Neighbors as Family.
Signed and personalized
The copy Amazon can't sell you
Order direct and Barbara signs your copy to whoever you name, then mails it from La Jolla herself. It is the version readers give to mothers, neighbors, and the friend who is family in everything but name.
- Personalized inscription, signed to the name you choose
- Mailed from La Jolla by Barbara
- Club pricing below Amazon for ten or more copies
For book clubs
Reading it together? Barbara would love to join you
Book clubs, in person and virtual, have been choosing A Walk Down Rushville, including Barbara's own. She wrote discussion questions to get you started, and she joins meetings by video, or in person around Southern California.
- 01Virtual book clubsA signed print copy shipped directly to each member. Simple to organize when your club meets online. Available only by ordering direct from Barbara.$25
- 02In-person book clubsFor orders of ten or more in a single order, shipped to the club leader to hand out at your next meeting. That is below the Amazon price, and every copy is signed. Direct from Barbara only.$17.50
- 03Local clubs, in personIf your club is near me in Southern California, I would love to join you, deliver the books in person, and sign each one while I'm there. Email me to talk options and club discounts.Let's talk
My publishing journey
From a dream to a launch party
Barbara wrote and published her first novel with a full publishing team behind her: positioning, developmental, and structural coaches, a marketing specialist, three editors, and a cover artist and layout editor. The audiobook followed in 2025, read by Barbara herself.
The story is now a completed screenplay, adapted by screenwriter Jessica Vill and in conversations with director-producers in Los Angeles and Atlanta.
The official launch was held on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at the L&G Projects contemporary art gallery in La Jolla, with supporters there in person and online.
Insightful videos
Inside the writing, one topic at a time
From process to character development, short videos on how the book came together, and encouragement for anyone thinking of writing their own.
Barbara's publishing-journey videos are being added here. In the meantime, watch the novel trailer or follow along for the latest.
- My process
- The genre
- Themes and plot
- The settings
- Dialogue
- Emotion: show vs. tell
- Character development
- Interview with Buck, part 1
- Interview with Buck, part 2
- Interview with Buck, part 3
“I believe when the heart starts to open and says yes, again and again, the door to life opens.”
Barbara Burton, from the author's note
Order a signed copy
A real nonprofit, born from fiction
Neighbors as Family
In the novel, Skyler dreams up an organization that helps people without family connect with the neighbors around them. Barbara decided to make it real.
“The idea came to her that an organization could encourage those without a family to connect with neighbors. Then I made a decision to make it real.”Visit Neighbors as Family
About the author
Barbara Burton
Barbara is a former Capitol Hill reporter and registered nurse. For the past twenty-five years she has worked in management consulting, helping companies with strategic vision, culture, and communication. She is also the author of two illustrated, sing-along children's books, and a soft-jazz vocalist who has recorded two CDs.
She was inspired to write about how people create a family when they have none, having felt that loss in her own life. She lives in La Jolla with her husband and two Springer Spaniels.
Stay connected
Say hello
Questions about the book, a book-club visit, or Neighbors as Family? Send a note, or email Barbara directly at barbaraburtonauthor at gmail dot com.