Hope's Way

“Life never runs in a straight line.”

Hope Rodriguez’s life has been filled with poor choices, bad luck and the consequences of both, beginning with getting pregnant at fifteen.

Having a baby at age sixteen and living with her parents in public housing in New York City, Hope did not think her life could get any more dismal. But that was before her parents were killed in the terrorists’ attacks of 9/11.

Fearing social services was going to take her baby from her, Hope spent all her money on a bus ticket to “run as far away as possible” and landed in the western Kentucky town of Paducah.

Not until her daughter is sixteen years old does Hope’s life seem to be coming together with a good job and a halfway decent boyfriend. But that’s when fate deals her a mortal blow—her daughter commits suicide. The only thing that keeps Hope from being swallowed by the quicksand of depression is her search for why her daughter ended her life.

As Hope sifts through clues to why Lisa killed herself, she crosses paths with a charismatic man, Michael, who makes her feel all the things she’s been missing in her life: a sense of security, trust, love and self-confidence. The obvious problem is he’s married, and he’s a preacher. The hidden problem is he’s a tortured soul, constantly in conflict with the man he wants to be and the man he is.

Can Hope discover why Lisa took her life?
Is it possible to navigate a path that unites her with Michael?

Hope’s Way is a story about shattered lives, secrets, and finding the strength to survive.