Piece by Piece

May 25, 2020
In this tender story, Bradford (A Killer Carol) examines the roles of faith and friendship in healing. Thirty-five-year-old Dani has three beautiful children, a loving and attentive husband, and a great relationship with her own mother. Then her entire family is killed in a car accident. In her grief, she flees to Amish country to reconnect with Lydia, a friend she met while visiting Lancaster County as a child. As Dani watches Lydia’s attentive parenting, she becomes overcome with guilt; but when Dani discovers she is pregnant, she grows in faith and begins to see her second chance at motherhood as part of God’s plan. She also gets to know Lydia better, and Lydia’s grace, understanding, and humor give Dani the support she needs. While some readers might find Dani’s unrelenting pain difficult, her rationalizations, guilt, and road to recovery are believable and elegantly rendered. Fans of Vannetta Chapman should check out this moving tale. Agent: Jessica Faust, Bookends Literary.