Rubigunda

by Stef Kramer

A young mother is institutionalized, leaving little Jade and teenage Ria to be raised by their daddy, the ever charismatic salesman. The absent salesman. But neighbors and German ancestral spirits in the village of Kremton would guide and protect the girls. Until they grew up. Jade gives up everything (a high-profile career, a luxurious apartment in the city, and the love of her life) to move back home to Kremton - where her family still resides. Why? Under the guise of recovering from a nearly-fatal car accident, she wants to know her propensity for mental illness - and if that journey has already begun. But Jade doesn’t have much time for self-discovery. As she delves into the mystery of her mother’s mental illness, heavy news is delivered. Her sister, Ria, has breast cancer. Now what? Obviously, become the rock while her sister fights the disease. Jade also faces the past - and discovers her mother’s incapacity wasn’t a result of an attempted suicide, like she always believed. This misperception of the truth is somewhat healing; perhaps she’s not heading down a crazy train after all. But she’s not quite sure. Once Ria conquers cancer, Jade decides to help her sister plan a South African journey. The trip becomes more than merely a visit as Ria accepts a marriage proposal from her boyfriend and agrees to adopt a South African boy. But tragedy strikes, and Ria finds herself facing the challenge of motherhood on her own. Fortunately, Ria has a “village” and a sister who will help her rise to the task. Finally Jade understands her own strength. By opening her heart, first to her family - then her community, Jade finds Jade. And recognizes herself for what she is - a precious jewel.

422 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Stef Kramer is a writer, blogger, and CFO. She lives on a farm near Earling, Iowa with her husband, two children, and amusing pets. After receiving her Bachelor’s of Arts in English at the University of Iowa, she went on to obtain her MBA at Creighton University. In addition to her two blogs, she is happy to introduce Goodbye Def Leppard (I'll Miss Those Jeans) which was rated as "Outstanding" in the Writer's Digest self-published competition and received a positive Kirkus Review. Her short story, "Phoenix Sun" was published by The Story Plant in the anthology entitled Portable Magic. She was named as a runner-up in The Story Plant's Author's First Novels contest.