After he’s forced to sell the family farm he’s labored on his whole life, 63-year-old Gerrit Laninga doesn’t know what to do with himself. He sacrificed everything for the land–his time, his health, his family–with nothing to show for it but bitterness, regret, and two grown children who want nothing to do with him.

Fifteen-year-old Rae Walters has growing doubts and fears about The Plan–the detailed blueprint for high school that will help her follow in her lawyer father’s footsteps. She’s always been committed to The Plan, but now that the pressure to succeed is building, what was supposed to unite her family in purpose, may end up tearing it apart.

When their paths cross just as they each need a friend the most, Gerrit’s and Rae’s lives begin to change in unexpected ways. Can they discover together what really matters in life and learn it’s never too late for a second chance?

I’m so happy to write this review because it’s not often that I love a debut novel and it’s not often that I love a book outside my genre, but this book delivered on both counts. It took a while to read it, not because the book was hard to read or because it was uninteresting, but because it was so good that I had to force myself to only read a few pages at a time until I finished up a big project (otherwise I would have stopped working to read the book).

Powner’s characters have relatable situations and attitudes. They also have heart and humor. I usually prefer to read books with a strong romantic thread, but Powner’s story of a 63-year-old retiree and a 16-year-old overachiever hit all the right notes and pulled at all the right heartstrings to keep this romance-loving reader engaged and entertained through the entire book.

What a great start to what I’m sure will be a successful career for Powner.

Rated PG.