A Watershed Year

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What it means to be a mother, what it takes to save a life.Lucy never confessed her love to her best friend, Harlan, before he passed away. Two months after his funeral, she is haunted by the power of things left unsaid. But then she receives the first of his e-mails arranged to be sent after his death. So begins the year that everything changes—Lucy’s watershed year. In an e-mail, Harlan says something that consumes her: he’s certain Lucy is destined for motherhood. In her grief, she suddenly rediscovers hope, journeying to Russia to adopt a four-year-old boy. When she meets her son, Mat, for the first time, she realizes he’s also mending a wounded heart and is just as lost as she is. Together, they learn to trust, each helping the other to heal. But just as they’re welcoming their new normal, Mat’s father comes to America to reclaim his son and reveals the truth about Mat’s past that might shatter Lucy’s fragile little family forever. Susan Schoenberger’s breathtaking and powerful story of love, loss, redemption, and what it means to be a mother will leave you in awe as Lucy, in the depths of her greatest despair, somehow finds her greatest joy and embraces the beauty of second chances.From BooklistLucy McVie is a thirtysomething college professor mourning the loss of her best friend, Harlan. Two months after his funeral, she receives the first of several e-mails from him, arranged to be sent after his death. It is through these messages that Lucy truly learns of Harlan's deep love for her and her importance in his life. With his encouragement from beyond, she decides to pursue her dream of motherhood. Lucy finds Yulia, who runs an agency that arranges adoptions from Russia. Yulia knows of four-year-old Azamat, nicknamed Mat, who has been abandoned by his father and needs a home. As Lucy navigates the political and economic intricacies of foreign adoption, she becomes increasingly obsessed with the need to care for Mat. Lucy struggles to raise Mat while dealing with heartbreaking grief, and when Mat's father returns to claim him, she must find the strength to save her family. Her story is one of loss and healing, what it means to be a mother, and the importance of moving forward. —Carol Gladstein Review"A well-told tale of life and death and the way, when we least expect it, love can encompass us roundabout...This is a brave and moving novel." --Bret Lott, bestselling author of the Oprah Book Club Selection Jewel "Thoughtful and uplifting reading of the power of a mother and family, A Watershed Year is an excellent pick." --Midwest Book Review