Daughters for a Time by Jennifer Handford

Description

When Helen Francis was a child, her mother died and her father walked out, leaving her to be raised by her older sister. Now thirty-five, married, and trying to start a family of her own, Helen has moved on but never really healed from her traumatic childhood. She has always believed that a new baby would help fill the loss of what was taken from her at such a young age. After four years of trying to become pregnant, however, she is resigned to the fact that she will never be able to bear children. Halfheartedly accepting adoption as an alternative, Helen gradually embraces and grows excited over the prospect. And when her new baby is finally in her arms, true happiness washes over her. But her unimaginable bliss is dashed when she learns that Claire, the sister who raised and loved her throughout her childhood and adult life, has been diagnosed with cancer.

For Helen, the pain of her childhood returns and the old wounds of abandonment are once again torn open. Balancing the joy of her new daughter with the painful experience of watching her sister, the physical embodiment of unconditional love in her life, slowly die, Helen must reconcile her inner feelings and heal her broken spirit. A heart-wrenching exploration of the ties that bind us and the lasting pain of childhood loss,Daughters for a Time is about longing for a family to heal a broken heart, experiencing unconditional love as a parent, and finding solid ground to stand on when suffering and elation have equally powerful holds on our life.

Editoral Review

“A wrenching, resonant debut about infertility, cancer and adoption. Grab your hankies.”
—People magazine

“Equally heartfelt and hopeful, Daughters for a Time is a powerful exploration of what it means to be a mother, a sister, a daughter. Tender and poignant, Handford weaves a captivatingly honest story that will have you smiling and weeping throughout — often within the same paragraph.” –Heather Gudenkauf – New York Times Best-selling Author of The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden

“Daughters for a Time is a brutally honest but captivating peek at the powerful hold human connections and the pursuit of motherhood can have on the human spirit….A story filled with the truths of compassion, dedication and losses many of us must face in life… [It] will draw you in and have you rooting for [protagonist] Helen Francis.” –Kay Bratt, Author of Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage