An Offering

By Maura Lin

How do we judge the worth of a person? What happens when we falter, when we commit acts that offend our own values? What effects do shame and silence have on our lives and relationships? An Offering examines these questions as it depicts the struggle of Alice and her daughter, Lucy, to confront troubling aspects of themselves and their pasts. Ultimately, it is a story about embracing our experiences, strengths, and weaknesses. It is also about sharing, forgiveness, and accepting what life offers.

The novel centers upon Alice and her daughter, Lucy. Alice grows up on a Minnesota farm during the Great Depression, and lives in metropolitan Minnesota during and after World War II. Lucy grows up with two siblings and her parents in suburban Ohio during the 1960s and 70s. An Offering depicts their separate experiences through the present day, as it examines Lucy and her mother's relationship, and relationships within the family. Against the backdrop of time and place, the effects of their personal decisions come to challenge their identities, values, and self-worth, all universal aspects of human experience.

An Offering may interest those who are beguiled by human behavior, especially within the family, and in the larger world. Why do people take the actions they do? How do environment, family upbringing, our individual psyche, ego, and childhood experiences affect us? What aspects of ourselves can we change for the better (or worse)? Can we only learn to accommodate flaws or weaknesses in our character so that we can cope better and persevere? If we understand human motivation and action, can we take steps to reduce individual suffering, or mitigate conflict within our community and beyond?