Recycled Hope by Linda Drugan
Now a middle aged woman facing inevitable old age, Linda relishes reminiscing about her childhood and what people commonly refer to as the good old days. This is especially prevalent when she gets together with her siblings, and their now extended families. One particular Saturday afternoon’s visit to her mother’s townhouse, which is located on what was once the McDowell’s Farm, Linda is reminded of the events that transpired there when she was a young girl growing up in the sixties. Though at one time the farm was profitable and bustling with activity, by the time Linda’s family moved to the neighborhood, McDowell’s farm was overgrown and uncared for by a crotchety, old farmer and his kind hearted wife. This sets the backdrop for this whimsical and nostalgic tale which takes many unexpected twists and turns. Linda’s strained relationship with her older sister, Karen, does a complete 180 due to the fateful events that occur one fall afternoon in 1967, when they take a shortcut through McDowell’s farm on their way home from school. One wrong decision leads to a chain of events that one would never anticipate and takes the reader through a journey which is tragic and heartwarming.
