When my children were young, my family returned to the small Indiana town where I was raised, hoping to find an environment conducive to child-rearing and book-writing. Heeding the age-old counsel to write what you know, I wrote about Sam Gardner, a Quaker pastor serving his hometown church, Harmony Friends Meeting.
Five novels and two novellas later, I moved on to theology, wanting to articulate a progressive spirituality I hoped would make a positive contribution to our society. It remains to be seen whether that has happened, but I enjoyed the opportunity, still remain committed to that goal, and continue to write and speak about that as opportunities arise.
But I sure did miss Sam Gardner and so, it appears, did many of my readers, who wrote asking of his whereabouts. Sam and I, regrettably, had lost touch with one another. He was busy with his life and I with mine. Last year, however, we reconnected at a Quaker pastors’ retreat, our friendship was rekindled, and we have remained in touch ever since. I asked his permission to share his story and he agreed. (Though Sam would never say so, I think he enjoys seeing his name in print.) As it turns out, this year has been an eventful one for Sam and his family, which you will discover in the pages ahead.