In her debut novel, Arrivals and Departures, author Diane Stratton explores the themes of lost love, missed opportunities, empowerment and second chances with humor, honesty and passion. Meet Cassie DeArmand, a small-town wife and mother whose world falls apart when her husband ends their marriage of many years. With her offspring now grown, Cassie picks herself up and jumps off the proverbial cliff to make her long-held dream of becoming a flight attendant come true. She soars into a strange new world of rigorous training, crazy schedules, fabulous layovers, awkward romances--and the horror of 9/11, which causes her to question her choices. Complicating matters is Alfie St. John, the "hot" but troubled boyfriend from Cassie's past. Despite his success as a rock musician, Alfie has never found the happiness he seeks--and fate won't leave these two alone as their lives intersect again and again, with far-reaching consequences. Music figures prominently throughout this book. As an added bonus for the reader, the author has included a playlist of songs spanning forty years which inspired the story. So download the music, fasten your seatbelt, and get ready for a captivating flight