The End of the Beginning

by Deborah O'Brien

Fifty-six and broke, Joanne is at the end of her rope. After filing for bankruptcy, she wants to crawl under a rock and hide—but God has other plans. Devastated by his wife's death, Joe gave up on life the day he turned seventy-five. On a sizzling hot day in July, he rescues Joanne from a fall. In that moment, their lives are miraculously changed forever. Joanne is determined to help Joe find sobriety and a purpose for living, even if it means finding a way to keep his wife's memory alive. When she realizes she must be honest about her past mistakes and the vow she made, she fears he will turn away like all the other men in her life. Even if he stays, is there room in his heart for his deceased wife and Joanne, too? The End of the Beginning is a tender, romantic novella about the desperate desire of our restless hearts to connect with each other and with God. Joanne is drowning in credit card debt; Joe is drowning in sorrow. Together, they become a lifeline for many.

168 pages, Hardcover

Published July 8, 2021

About the author

Deborah O’Brien is an Australian writer, visual artist and teacher. She is the author of four novels for Penguin Random House: the bestselling 'Mr Chen’s Emporium', its sequels, 'The Jade Widow' and 'A Place of Her Own', plus 'The Trivia Man'.

Her latest novel, 'The Rarest Thing' is set in the Victorian High Country in 1966 and is published by Lomandra Press. The signed gift edition print book is available from www.lomandrapress.com.au and the ebook from Kobo.

Together with her family and two dogs, Deborah divides her time between a house in Sydney and a country cottage on the outskirts of a heritage-listed Gold Rush town, overlooking a creek frequented by platypuses. It is her dream to own a small herd of alpacas.

http://www.deborahobrien.com.au