Where Hope Begins

Starred review from March 15, 2018

Empty nester Savannah Barrington is blindsided when her husband, Kevin, leaves her for another woman after more than two decades of marriage. Adrift, she retreats to her parents' house in the Berkshires in Massachusetts to lick her wounds and put her life back together. But as she finally starts to believe she is worthy of love, thanks to a new relationship, Kevin returns, hoping for a reconciliation. Although Savannah realizes that she will always love her husband, can she forgive his betrayal? VERDICT West's (The Things We Knew) compelling and heart-wrenching, rising-from-the ashes novel realistically delves into the tough issues of suicide, anger, and guilt with a touch of grace and hope. As with Julie Cantrell's The Feathered Bone, it will leave readers wrung out but satisfied.A tumultuous school year; an empty nester struggles to forgive; the trials and joys of parenting

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 28, 2018
West (The Memory of You) tells the heartbreaking story of a crumbling marriage. Savannah is shocked that Kevin, her husband of 25 years, has decided to leave her for a woman he is having an affair with. Their marriage has been marked by heartache and miscommunication in the 20 years since their oldest daughter died; the pain of losing a child proved to be more than either could bear. To collect herself and reconnect to her Christian faith, Savannah takes a vacation to her parents’ lake house in the Berkshires. In her absence, her 16-year-old daughter, Zoe, who remains at home, struggles to reconcile her father’s affair with her image of him. To help Zoe, Savannah feels pressured to forgive and reunite with Kevin, who wants to still see her frequently. When Kevin decides that he wants Savannah back, he upends her healing process, making for a messy finale that is fraught but realistic. West’s skillful tale of betrayal, silence, and guilt finishes on a resilient (if never cheery) note.

April 1, 2018
Savannah Barrington's life is turned upside down when her husband of 21 years leaves her for another woman. With her children away at school, Savannah moves to her parent's lake house in the Berkshires seeking solace and stability. In this place that's filled with happy family memories, Savannah finds unexpected support in her elderly neighbor, whose life wisdom and green thumb provide her with the kindness she craves and a project to focus on in the form of a dilapidated greenhouse. She also discovers romance with an attractive local author as she slowly works to bring meaning back to her life. But when her husband unexpectedly returns, hoping for forgiveness and reconciliation, Savannah's faith and determination are put to the test. Caught between her old and new lives, Savannah must determine which direction will move her forward. West (The Memory of You, 2017) once again presents readers with the deeply satisfying story of a family dealing with loss and betrayal, and their journey to make themselves whole.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)