Change is infectious.  Unfulfilled and forty-ish, Janet DeMarco quits her job and informs her semi-supportive family she now wants to be called Hope.  But changing her name and employment status is just the beginning.  As Janet searches for who Hope really is and what she wants from life that Janet was not able to discover herself, her quest also touches the lives around her, both family and strangers, and encourages them to dig beyond the surface of who they are, to discover who they want to be. Linda Rettstatt has tapped into a universal yearning many middle-aged women discover in themselves, and again delivers an emotionally strong story interlaced with humor and poignancy.  Finding Hope is a story every woman who has ever wondered what she is missing from life should read. --Kimberley Dehn, author of Southern Exposure www.kimberley-dehn.com

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Underestimated, unappreciated, and unfulfilled, Janet DeMarco, wife and mother, resents the mediocrity of her life and rebels in ways that shock those who know her. No longer willing to be taken for granted, her revolt changes the family dynamics and sends her on a search of self-discovery. Janet changes her name to Hope, representing the renewal she wants to bring into her life. Although the name change revitalizes her and results in humorous situations with family and friends, it is her connection to a homeless woman, and the changes Hope’s altered outlook bring about in others that cause her to look inward to evaluate what she really needs. Finding Hope is told with light-hearted humor that will bring countless chuckles. The sparkling dialogue will keep you entertained page after page, and you will find yourself hoping, as does her ever-loving husband, that Janet never loses touch with Hope. An excellent read by the fireside and one that will send readers in search of more of Linda Rettstatt’s novels. Carol McPhee

A book is usually read for review only once, but FINDING HOPE drew, no, compelled me to read it again. How Ms. Rettstatt compressed the total secret of life in a single book is nothing short of miraculous. A young woman who is not truly unhappy searches for her inner fulfillment. The process she chooses is elemental, but highly effective. The author cuts through psycho-babble crap and gets to the core of life. She learns fulfillment comes with the giving of oneself. Ms. Rettstatt has written an insightful book with humor, pathos and inspiration. I highly recommend FINDING HOPE. The reader will find, as I did, a fragment of their own life can be improved with this delightful book. A. Dee Carey – The Fox Lady       Foxpaw Reviews        http://careyfoxlady.googlepages.com/

FINDING HOPE by Linda Rettstatt is a vibrant, compelling, memorable story with a dash of humor, pathos and compassion, cloaked in love. Frustrated with being overworked and not appreciated, Janet vents her frustration in a letter of resignation that her boss accidentally reads. Her husband and her boss find it humorous, which urges on Janet to quit for real – not only her paying job, but as chief cook, cleaner and chauffeur at home.  She embarks upon a new beginning – a desire to discover what she wants in life. She is happy with her husband and children, but yearns for something more. Along the way she befriends a homeless woman and a single mother and makes a big difference in their lives. Her husband’s mother and grandmother join Janet’s journey as they, too, search for more fulfillment in their lives. FINDING HOPE is a moving, touching account of a woman’s journey. Her brave search to uncover what is missing in her life will warm your hearts. I found myself racing to finish the story to find out what happened and to see how Janet ends up. I began rooting for all women who have the courage to reach out like Janet, to stand up and demand that they be treated with the utmost respect and be allowed to explore and become all that they desire. I highly recommend this book. Grab a nice cup of tea, curl up on a comfy chair, and dream along with Janet as you witness her journey, her search for hope. You, too, will be FINDING HOPE right along with her.  I look forward to further novels by Ms. Rettstatt.  Trust me, you don’t want to miss out in reading her inspiring books. They will make a difference in your life.  Suzanne M. Hurley http://www.suzannemhurley.com/