Before the Dawn

July 29, 2013
The Home to Heather Creek series, written by a team of authors under the name Kathleen Bauer, is inaugurated by author Carolyne Aarsen (The Bachelor Baker). In the initial offering, Charlotte Stevenson brings her grandchildren home to Heather Creek Farm in Nebraska after the death of their mother—Charlotte’s daughter, Denise, who ran away years ago. Sam, 16, isn’t obeying school rules; Emily, 14, is eager to stay connected to her California friends; and Christopher, a fourth grader, just wants to make new friends. Charlotte is eager to set up a schedule, with her husband Bob just as eager for discipline and structure, but might these grieving children need more than rules? As the family begins to build a life together, each of them must adjust to a “new normal.” For Charlotte, that means dealing with her insecurities as a parent; for the kids it means adjusting to life at Heather Creek, which is so different from their previous home in the city. But a crisis helps Charlotte and the children learn about themselves. A lovely beginning to the series. Agent: Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates.

September 15, 2013

Within a week of her daughter's death in California, Charlotte Stevenson returns home to Heather Creek, NE; moving in with her are her three (barely known to her) grandchildren, teenagers Sam and Emily, and eight-year-old Christopher. The move to a remote farm is a shock for children used to close neighbors, a big city, and cell phone coverage. Charlotte despairs of ever making the children feel at home as she is torn among her own grief, her husband Bob's insistence upon a strict routine for the children to follow, and helping them settle in. But with the help of friends and her faith, they might learn to love one another and find common ground. VERDICT Guideposts is reprinting this 24-volume multi-author series (which ended in 2010) written under the pseudonym Kathleen Bauer (Carolyne Aarsen penned the series launch, and Tricia Goyer wrote the second volume). No major revisions were announced, so libraries owning the original printings won't need to replace unless they are missing a volume.

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