“So. Who’s ready for more pie?” he asked, and received a chorus of groans and protests in response.
“Maybe later,” McKenzie said, seeing the disappointment on her father’s face. “The pie was great, Dad. But right now, I couldn’t eat another bite.”
“So, what do you guys want to do?” asked Rory, scanning the faces of his siblings.
“If you’re bored you can always help me clean up this mess,” Hope suggested.
“I’ll help.” Pamela got to her feet and started picking up some of the discarded wrapping paper, only to be greeted with boos and heckling.
“Brownnoser!”
“Suck-up!”
“Knock it off,” McKenzie said to her brothers before taking the baby back into her lap. “She’s just trying to get on the in-laws’ good side. I did the same thing with Zach’s parents. She’ll get over it after the wedding, trust me,” she teased.
“Hey, I know what we can do,” Liam said, sitting up straight and looking far more energetic than he had a moment before. “Let’s go find a brew pub, order a pitcher, and toast Reed and Pamela’s engagement.”
“It’s Christmas. Do you really think they’ll be open?” Hope asked. “Besides, everyone said they were too full to eat anything else.”
“Beer’s different. Fits in the cracks.” Liam stood up. “Come on, guys. Who wants to go out for a beer? Reed’s buying.”
“I am not buying. At least not for you,” Reed said, looking fondly at Pamela, who looked fondly back, then came to stand next to him when he got to his feet, placing her left hand, with its bright and brand-new diamond ring, lightly on his arm. “But a beer sounds good.”
“I’m in,” Rory said. “Kenz?”
McKenzie thought about it for a moment, then said, “I probably shouldn’t. I have to get up early and drive to Bellingham. We’re meeting Zach at his parents’ and doing Christmas all over again. Besides, it’s almost Leesha’s bedtime.”
“Oh, come on,” Liam moaned. “One beer.”
“You go on,” Hope urged her. “Dad and I can babysit.”
“Sure you don’t mind?” McKenzie said, sounding hopeful.
“Mind?” Hope put a glass back down on the coffee table and crossed the room, grinning widely and holding her arms wide. “As if I could ever mind spending time with the cutest, smartest, most advanced, and most beautiful baby on the face of the earth. Come here to Grammy, you sweet little girl.”
* * *
After the kids left to drink beer, bond, and toast the expansion of the family fold, Hope propped baby Leesha on her hip and carried her around the condo, showing her the sparkling lights of the Christmas tree and explaining the history and origins of the various ornaments as if they were artifacts in the family museum and Hope was the curator of the collection, which, in a sense, was true.
“And that silver one there? The very old-looking one with the snow scene and sleigh? Your great-grandma painted that one by hand, way back when I was about your age.
“And those pinecones with the gold glitter? Rory and Reed made those when they were eight years old. Your uncle Liam painted that stained-glass cross when he was six. Isn’t it pretty? Look at all the bright colors. And see the cross-stitched ornaments that say ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ and the year? Grammy did those herself, when your mommy and uncles were born. Yes, she did.
“And see that funny reindeer with the red nose? Your mommy crocheted that one just for you! That’s right. To celebrate Leesha’s first Christmas! You come from a very talented family; did you know that?
“And someday, when you’re just a little bit older, Grammy is going to teach you all kinds of things so you’ll be able to add your ornaments to the tree. What do you think about that?”
Leesha, who had been listening solemnly to her grandmother’s monologue, blinked twice and then yawned. Hope laughed and squeezed her.
“You are just too, too precious. Do you know that?”
Leesha offered no opinion. Hope carried her back into the living room, where Rick was lying prone on the sofa.
“This one is getting tired,” Hope said. “Can you take her for a minute? I’m going to get her pajamas.”
“Absolutely. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to share,” Rick said, holding out his arms. “Come here, baby girl. Come and talk to your grandpa.”
Leaving the baby with Rick, Hope went in search of the diaper bag. Somehow, it had ended up under a pile of coats in the guest room. When she returned to the living room a few minutes later, she found Rick still on the sofa with the baby on his chest, both sound asleep.
Hope stood there for a long moment, watching the rise and fall of Rick’s breathing, and the look on her granddaughter’s face as she went along for the ride: an expression of contentment and utter peace that matched Rick’s own.
She considered waking them, but only briefly. Hope had lived long enough to know that such moments, though few and far between, must be treasured.
Instead, Hope lowered herself into a chair to keep watch, cherishing her life, and family, and home. And the knowledge it was exactly as it was meant to be.
All of it.
Dear Reader,
I hope you have enjoyed reading Hope on the Inside. This book is a labor of love that took many years in the making.
It began seven years ago, when I saw an exhibit of quilts made by inmates. Though the skill displayed by those incarcerated quilters varied from novice to expert, the quilts they produced were so honest, raw, and emotionally evocative that they truly rose to the level of art.
I was fascinated and immediately knew that I wanted to write a book set in a correctional setting. However, though I made a few attempts over the years, the story simply wouldn’t come; the lives of the characters were just too far removed from my own experience. After several false starts, I shelved the idea.
Not long after I moved to Oregon, I stumbled across an article about the Coffee Creek Quilters, an entirely volunteer-run and -funded quilting program that has been operating inside the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon, since 2002.
Though my story is entirely fictional, my research about and visit to the Coffee Creek Quilters profoundly influenced Hope on the Inside. My conversations with the volunteers helped me to see that a tale about a woman at a crossroads of life, encountering this world for the first time, was a story I could tell. It’s not too much to say that this book might never have been written if not for my encounters with the Coffee Creek Quilters. It is a remarkable program.
Unfortunately, it is, to my knowledge, the only such program for incarcerated women in the country. As I was writing this book, my fervent prayer has been that someone who reads this book becomes inspired to start a similar program in their area.
If you think that person might be you, visit www.coffeecreekquilters.org. There, under the “Get Involved” tab, you will find a detailed guide, written by the Coffee Creek Quilters, with detailed information on how you can begin a similar program at a correctional facility near you.
I hope you will read and consider it. And I really, really hope you will act on it.
Also, if you enjoyed reading Hope on the Inside, I would so appreciate it if you’d help spread the word. Tell your friends and family! Write an online review! Propose it to your book club! Word of mouth from passionate readers is the very best form of advertising and the greatest compliment that any author can receive. Thank you in advance for your support. It means so much.
I do love hearing from readers. I read every note personally and do my best to make sure each note receives a response. If you have a moment, drop me an e-mail at [email protected] or by regular mail. My mailing address is:
Marie Bostwick
18160 Cottonwood Road
PMB 118
Bend, Oregon 97707
Social media is the easiest, fastest way for me to stay in touch with readers.
You can find me on Facebook at facebook.co
m/mariebostwick/and on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram by searching @marie bostwick. You can also connect with me at my new blog, www.fiercebeyond50.com, a lifestyle blog to help women age fifty and beyond celebrate this amazing season of life.
And, of course, I hope you’ll take some time to visit my website, www.mariebostwick.com.
While you’re there you can sign up for my monthly newsletter, check my calendar to see if I’ll be making an appearance in your area, enter the monthly reader giveaway, and download free recipes and quilt patterns created exclusively for my readers. To find them, go to the “Quilt Central” tab on my website and choose “Quilt Patterns” from the pull-down menu. Recipes are found under the “Author” tab. (Please note, these patterns and recipes are for your personal use only and may not be copied to share with others or published by any means, either print or electronic.)
My dear friend the talented Deb Tucker and I began collaborating on the companion quilt for Hope on the Inside very early on. You are absolutely going to love the Dove in the Window quilt, inspired by the quilt Mandy made, which was designed to go with this book. It’s gorgeous!
Part of what makes it so special is that we used a new collection of actual Island Batik fabrics, with the same colors and patterns I describe in the book, to create the quilt. That fabric collection, Steam Engine by Island Batik, will be available in the spring of 2019. Ask for it at your local quilt shop or visit www.IslandBatik.com for information and inspiration.
Deb has also created many companion patterns for purchase to go with my books. To check them out, visit www.studio180design.net, click the “Shop” tab on the menu, and look for the Cobbled Court section under “Specialty Collections.” There are some beautiful patterns there!
In addition to the new quilt pattern, I’m sure that Hope on the Inside will inspire a few new additions to my collection of online recipes. Given Rick’s love of baking, I’m sure that bread and pastry will be involved.
On the day I finished writing the draft for Hope on the Inside, I went for a long walk in the woods. As I strolled by a river and under the shade of evergreens, it suddenly hit me that I had just finished my fifteenth full-length novel.
That’s a lot of books!
But it also hit me that I couldn’t have reached this milestone without you, my readers. Time is the most precious commodity we have. I am sincerely grateful that you have chosen to spend some of yours with me and with my characters. It is a tremendous honor. Without you, my readers, I would not have been able to become a writer.
Thank you for making it all possible.
Blessings,
A READING GROUP GUIDE
HOPE ON
THE INSIDE
Marie Bostwick
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The following questions are intended to
enhance your group’s reading of
Hope on the Inside.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Ms. Bostwick’s novels, including Hope on the Inside, emphasize the importance of creative pursuits in everyday life. Hope has her crafting and quilting; Rick has his baking. In what ways do the individual characters’ creative activities inform their relationships and sense of self-worth? In what ways do you think your own creative pursuits enrich your life?
2. Career and vocational change during different stages of life play an important role in the story. When the book opens, Rick views himself as the family breadwinner, viewing his identity in terms of his work. Hope, though she has recently returned to teaching, views herself primarily as a homemaker. How was their view of themselves and each other influenced or altered by their career changes? Do you think these were changes for the better or the worse? Have you experienced similar types of career changes in your life? How have those changes impacted your sense of self and your relationships?
3. David’s relationship with Hope changes radically from the start of the novel to the end. In the beginning, he seems antagonistic toward Hope and her plans for the inmates, but later he appears more supportive and even reveals a shared desire to teach. What do you think accounts for the change in the way David treats Hope? Was he always on her side or did his attitude toward the program change over time?
4. Based on the depiction of the prison system in the novel, in what ways do you think the system could be improved? What negative and positive effects does such an environment have on the inmates as well as the people who work there (the guards, teachers, and administrators)?
5. The relationship between Hope and her daughter, McKenzie, evolves considerably throughout the story. Why do you think their relationship is so tense in the beginning of the story? What part did both mother and daughter play in contributing to that tension? What factors or events helped ease the tension and helped Hope and McKenzie develop the “close, cozy” mother-daughter relationship that Hope had always longed for? What about your relationship with your parents? Did it change over time? How and why?
6. Hope and Rick fall into the “empty nesters” category. Hope struggles to find new purpose after many years of being a full-time wife and mother. Do you think our current culture is better preparing parents of adult children to anticipate and handle similar situations? Are there certain expectations for personal reinvention and career choices that come with this stage of life? How does Hope and Rick’s financial situation inform their later lifestyle choices?
7. Nancy and others emphasize the role that men played in the female inmates’ incarceration. Do you think this is a fair assessment? Do you believe the inmates’ relationships with men are at least partly responsible for the women’s situations?
8. Do you think McKenzie’s reaction toward her father’s suspected infidelity is normal given the situation, or was she overly influenced by her own marital problems? Was she justified in confronting Rick at Kate’s home, or was she only looking to channel her anger at her own husband?
9. Hope downplays the symptoms of her hyperthyroidism until it becomes a medical crisis. How does this connect or conflict with Hope’s other personality traits, such as her tendency to put others before herself?
10. The title of the book, Hope on the Inside, is a play on words, a hint about the content of the book and the fact that Hope teaches inside a correctional facility. In what other ways does the title shed light on the story line and the lives of the characters?
© Nicole Askari
MARIE BOSTWICK was born and raised in the Northwest. In the three decades since her marriage, Marie and her family have moved frequently, living in eight different states at eighteen different addresses. These experiences have given Marie a unique perspective that enables her to write about people from all walks of life and corners of the country with insight and authenticity. Marie currently resides in Oregon, where she enjoys writing, spending time with family, gardening, collecting fabric, and stitching quilts.
Please visit her on the web at:
www.mariebostwick.com
on Twitter at twitter.com/mariebostwick
and on Facebook at facebook.com/mariebostwick/
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In an emotionally rich and captivating new novel, New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick reunites three sisters whose deep bond is rooted in an unconventional past.
Every child prodigy grows up eventually. For the Promise sisters, escaping their mother’s narcissism and the notoriety that came with her bestselling book hasn’t been easy. Minerva Promise claimed that her three “test tube” daughters—gifted pianist Joanie, artistic Meg, and storyteller Avery—were engineered and molded to be geniuses. In adulthood, their modest lives fall far short of her grand ambitions. But now, twenty years after the book’s release, she hopes to redeem herself by taking part in a new documentary.
Meg, who hasn’t picked up a paintbrush in years, adamantly refuses to participate, until a car accident leaves her with crushing medical bills. While she recuperates in Seattle, the three sisters reluctantly meet with filmmaker Hal Seeger, another former prodigy. Like them, he’s familiar with the weight of failed potential. But as he digs deeper, he uncovers secrets they’ve hidden from one another—and a revelation that will challenge their beliefs, even as it spurs them to forge their own extraordinary lives at last.
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