Dear Reader,

 

Each autumn for decades, as the leaves start to change and the air turns crisp, my family has headed up to Lake Superior’s North Shore. The steep cliffs, fragrant pine forests and wild beauty of Superior are unforgettable. What could be better than sitting around a campfire at midnight, with a wash of stars overhead and the sound of waves rushing against the shore? As children, my brother and I loved every moment we spent there, and now my own children love it just as much. We always hope Superior will grow fierce while we’re there, and send waves exploding against the cliffs.

 

I hope you’ll enjoy this story about a woman who leaves her urban life behind to take on the challenges of raising her sister’s young children in just such a place. The enigmatic man next door creates even greater challenges for her—especially when painful secrets from the past are revealed.

 

If you’d like to write, I would love to hear from you. My address is P.O. Box 2550, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52406-2550. Thanks so much!

 

And Mom and Dad—thank you for all the wonderful trips north, and for the beautiful memories. No childhood could have been better!

 

Roxanne Rustand