New Beginnings

Roelena de Haas dreams of one day having a home and children of her own. This bright future seems assured until the boy she loves turns his attention elsewhere. With limited choices for marriage in their small community of Dutch Protestant farmers, Roelena’s future feels bleak.

Marliese, Roelena’s best friend, dreams of spreading her wings; confined by the strict traditions of their community, her hopes for the future seem as unattainable as Roelena’s.

As Roelena steadfastly continues her task of caring for her large throng of siblings, changes are in the air. Roelena’s soldier brother returns from WWII with the astonishing news that he’s married Ingrid, his Dutch war bride; Conrad, Roelena’s American cousin, visits their Alberta farm, enlivening them all with his exotic vitality; and Canada prepares to invite thousands of young Dutch men into the country.

Will Roelena’s limited choices for courtship expand when Canada opens its doors to immigrants? Will the spark that flares between Marliese and Conrad be extinguished by the distance that separates them? And how long must Ingrid wait before a ship is available to take her to Canada?