The Second Half: A Novel

by Lauraine Snelling Narrated by Joyce Bean

Overview

Bestselling author Lauraine Snelling shares a heartfelt story of a couple who put their plans for a peaceful retirement on hold to assume guardianship of their young grandchildren.

Mona and Ken Sorenson are approaching the best years of their lives. Mona's greatest concern is that Ken will learn of the surprise party she's planning for his retirement from his job as Dean of Students at Stone University. They've already been making plans to travel, spend limitless hours in the garden, and Ken is looking forward to working on his woodworking and fishing with his grandchildren. It's what they deserve after years of careful planning.

But things begin to unravel when Ken learns that office politics are about to destroy his department. Can he really just leave, abandoning the work he spent a lifetime achieving? Mona is eager to build her event planning business with Ken's help, but rather than supporting her, he expresses concern that the stress of the work will send her back into the depression she struggles with. Then, just days before Ken's last official day of work, their son, a Special Forces officer in the Army, learns he's being immediately deployed on a six-month mission in Pakistan. Since his wife left him, the only people he trusts to care for his two young children are his parents. In an instant, everything Ken and Mona spent their lives planning changes, and they will need to find strength, both physical and mental, to become parents once more. This is not the second half they wanted, and when their son fails to contact them as planned, they struggle to trust that it is God's plan, not theirs, that matters most.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

06/20/2016
Snelling (To Everything a Season), author of over 50 books, offers a character-driven tale about trust in God when life has been turned upside down. Mona and Ken Sorenson have been married for 34 years; with Ken about to retire from a successful career as dean of students at the fictional Stone University in Wisconsin, they are looking forward to a relaxing second act with only themselves and their two pets to worry about. Their plans are derailed when their son, Steig, a single father, is deployed to Pakistan and leaves his two young children in their care. Ken and Mona need to adjust to life as the primary caregivers for Mellie, age 10, and Jakey, age 5. Meanwhile, Ken continues to put out fires at work, and Mona faces an ongoing battle with depression and worry as well as a physical health scare. They both will learn important lessons about themselves and what is important as they navigate this new chapter of their lives. Meanwhile, Mellie and Jakey struggle to cope with the loss of both their parents and the fear that their grandparents will abandon them as well. This quiet novel about the growing trend of grandparents raising their grandchildren and keeping one's faith amidst the challenges of life will appeal to mature Christian readers. (July)

From the Publisher

A beautifully written book about how things can change in a blink of an eye and how to deal with the unexpected changes.... Snelling is a talented writer and draws from real life experiences for her novels.—RT Book Reviews

"Awarm novel....The story is inspiring and hopeful. Snelling tells a wonderful tale of fresh starts, resilience, loss and love in this perfect summer read."—RT Book Reviews on Someday Home

"Snelling writes about the foibles of human nature with keen insight and sweet honesty."—National Church Library Association

"Snelling (One Perfect Day) continues to draw fans with her stellar storytelling skills. This time she offers a look at smalltown medical care in a tale that blends healing, love, and a town's recovery. . .Snelling's description of events at the small clinic during the storm is not to be missed."—Publisher's Weekly on Wake the Dawn

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170351046
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	07/05/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

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