Paladin of Souls (2003)

Ista has spent years being treated as somebody to protect, manage or quietly put aside. Her decision to leave on pilgrimage gives a middle-aged widow room to become the centre of her own story. Bujold allows regret, desire and sharp judgement to travel together, without making a fresh start erase the past. Set after The Curse of Chalion, this is a particularly satisfying choice for a heroine whose second life requires more than a new pair of boots.