Aspen’s and Justin’s paths serendipitously aligned on the Pacific Crest Trail when both were walking from Mexico to Canada, separately and alone - both using thru-hiking in hopes of escaping their pasts. Both sought to redefine themselves beneath the stars.
By the time they made it to the snowy Cascade Range of British Columbia - the trail’s end - Aspen and Justin were in love.
Embarking on a new pilgrimage the next summer, they returned to those same mossy mountains where they’d met, and they married. They built a world together, three years of a happy marriage. Until a cold November morning, when, after kissing Aspen goodbye, Justin left to attend the funeral of a close friend.
He never came back. As days became weeks, her husband’s inexplicable absence left Aspen unmoored. Shock, grief, fear, and anger battled for control - but nothing prepared her for the disarming truth. A revelation that would lead Aspen to reassess not only her own life but that of the disappeared as well.
The result is a brave and inspiring memoir of secrets kept and unearthed, of a vanishing that became a gift: a woman’s empowering reclamation of unmitigated purpose in the surreal wake of mystifying loss.
‘Aspen Matis is a hero and an inspiration. Your Blue Is Not My Blue will open the door to empathy, compassion, and healing for you and all those affected by you.’ - Deepak Chopra, author of Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential
‘Your Blue Is Not My Blue is a sudden classic. Matis’ poetic language renders such a shocking story that is relatable and tear-jerking. She is a champion with a tender heart and fierce courage. This book isn’t for reading, but rather for transforming the filter and frame through which we view life and each other. A masterpiece!‘ - Kelly Sullivan Walden, author of I Had the Strangest Dream
