Anchored in faith, spiced with romance, mystery, and history, "To Begin Again" is an intriguing story that will keep the reader turning the pages.
"To Begin Again" tells the story of widower, Steve Grenville and his teenaged daughter, Renée, as they build their new family of two after the death of wife and mother, Serena, nearly three years before. Steve's readiness for a new relationship threatens to topple Renée's fragile security. Will she lose her father's love to this woman?
Researching her school history project, Renée discovers a tiny book with faded writing: a diary, kept by her great-great-grandmother, Margaret Sinclair, "Nana," a British child immigrant. Connecting Nana's life with immigrants today takes on an immediate relevance when a Syrian Refugee family arrives in Catalpa Creek. Tension mounts. Prejudice and fear surface and turn to violence.
Nana Sinclair's story is based on the early life of author, Janet Stobie's grandmother. As such the diary portion of this novel is classed as creative non-fiction.
"To Begin Again" will nudge you to think deeply about acceptance, discrimination and your faith. Introducing many current issues, "To Begin Again" is an excellent book club choice. Included are questions for group discussion.