Barbara Hunter is desperate to see her only son get married. He's been very successful in his work teaching Japaneses businessmen to speak English. Sebastian is so far away and she knows that he will never marry, if he doesn't return to the US. When he refuses to return for his ten year high school reunion, she approaches her friend, Maizie to ask for help.
Maizie convinces Barbara that she must pretend to be ill in order to draw Sebastian home. Only when he is in town, will she be able to convince him to attend the reunion. Barbara wants to pair him up with Brianna MacKenzie, the young lady he took to the senior prom.
Sebastian returns home to find his mother looking better than expected. Barbara convinces him to hire a nurse and only Brianna will do.
Brianna was all set to follow Sebastian to college until her father was in an accident and severely injured. She stayed home and bullied her father into a full recovery. She went on to become a nurse. Due to certain circumstances, she prefers private duty. She is open to taking care of Barbara even though she suspects that there is more going on than Sebastian knows.
We only see a glimpse of Maizie, the main focus of the story is the reunion of Sebastian and Brianna. Both will have to get past their differing memories of the past before they can move on to a life together. My only quibble with the story, is that we really don't see a strong sense of betrayal from Sebastian when he learns that Barbara was never ill. I'm not sure that I could be as forgiving as he was if my mother pulled a stunt like that. TEN YEARS LATER is a reminder that sometimes it is possible to go back home and how satisfying that can be.
New York Times bestselling author and beloved Today show co-anchor tells the incredible stories of people who, when faced with impossibly challenging or tragic life situations, persevereβand even thriveβand asks, What if you, facing a game-changing event or decision right now, could see ten years into the future?Through years of perseverance, purpose, and passion, Hoda Kotb landed a spot with Kathie Lee on the Today show, won numerous journalism awards, and gained valuable life lessons. Now, after captivating readers in her blockbuster memoir Hoda, she turns to stories about others who have undergone personal transformation against great odds.
In Ten Years Later, Hoda chronicles six amazing stories by identifying a game-changing event in her subjectsβ lives and then revisiting those lives a decade later. We meet Amy Barnes, who took the leap to escape an abusive relationship, lost an astounding 340 pounds, and now encourages women like her to cultivate their mental and physical strength. Thereβs also Ron Clifford, a civilian hero of 9/11, who saved the life of a burn victim in the wreckage of the towersβonly to learn the same day that his beloved sister and niece were passengers on Flight 175. Patrick Weiland, a former network producer who won a Peabody at age twenty-two and later spiraled into drug addition, demonstrates the power of a second chance.
Ten Years Later is a firsthand testament to the enduring power of the human spirit. Through inspirational life stories, Hoda shows how adversity can unleash our best qualities: resilience, perseverance, gratitude, empathy, and creativity. This book will inspire you to believe in the future, no matter how dark the present, and tap into the ability to reach your highest potential.
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