From the outside looking in, no one would ever believe Maureen Ryan’s life had been complicated and challenging. She was familiar with putting on a brave face since she was a child. At only three years old, Maureen was orphaned. Until she was nine years old, she had been tossed in and out of foster homes, never truly feeling as if she belonged anywhere. That changed in the fourth grade when Quinn Palmer befriended her, brought her home from school, and convinced her parents to take her in as their own. Maureen finally had a real family.Now, four decades later, Maureen’s life changed in the blink of an eye. Tragedy and loss, once again, made its way into her world. And, this time, she was too defeated to find her way back.This story, set in both Highland and Grafton, Illinois, is a blatant reminder of how life sometimes has a way of completely breaking us down, and it is in that brokenness where we will eventually find ourselves.Almost is Lori Bell’s 39th novel. For more about her books, visit www.loribellauthor.com.
