Woven As One

Praise For Woven As One

“Linda was my second mother, and I was her fourth son. Her youngest son, Alex, and I have been best friends since we were four years old, and the Waddell home was my second home and hangout whether it was in Richmond, Norfolk, or the beach. Woven As One is an amazing story about her shared love with Bill, her family, her friends, and her dogs and her ability to navigate and weather through chaos. It is a love story made of everyday things, well worth knowing and emulating.” 

—Jon Baliles, former Richmond city councilman, now author and podcaster

“This book moved me in a way few do. It speaks from the heart of someone who has known the quiet miracle of lifelong love—and the devastation of loss. As a therapist who sits daily with the ache of grief and the beauty of human connection, I found these pages to be both humbling and healing. With breathtaking honesty, it reminds us that love—fully given and fully received—is life’s greatest gift. And though its absence can hollow us, its presence, even in memory, continues to shape and hold us. This is not just a book about loss. It is a love letter to presence, to partnership, and to the kind of love that leaves us forever changed.” 

—Jenny Pfeiffer, licensed professional counselor, certified life coach

“Waddell’s raw honesty about love’s deepest joys and most profound losses creates an unforgettable portrait of a couple whose chemistry burned bright for fifty-eight years of marriage. From belly dancing to owning a racetrack, and from skinny dipping to traveling the world, Bill and Linda’s adventures are an inspiration to live more boldly. This is more than a love story; it’s a celebration of a life lived fully alongside a soulmate and a poignant reminder that true love transcends even death.” 

—Meghan Davis Hill, author of The Continuum of Change

“Many of us have had priceless relationships with our spouses. Few of us, though, have the patience, power of recall, sense of humor, and writing skill to pen a work as interesting and powerful as this. I know Bill Waddell, and I knew his lovely wife, Linda. Yet I knew only about 10 percent of what’s in this marvelous book. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. It made me laugh, cry, and marvel all at the same time. I loved every syllable of it.” 

—Gilbert “Bud” Schill, author of Not Exactly Rocket Scientists and Other Stories and its sequel, as well as numerous short stories

“Love is both the most durable and mercurial part of the deepest relationships. William Waddell and his wife have a true love story that will make you smile and remember what true love is, warts and all. His story made me feel grateful for my own love story and, importantly, to not take it for granted. His words are one of the best tributes to a spouse I have ever read. It left me resonant with appreciation and gratitude for love.” 

—Marie Newman, author of A Life Made from Scratch