Where Hope Begins

West (The Memory of You) tells the heartbreaking story of a crumbling marriage. Savannah is shocked that Kevin, her husband of 25 years, has decided to leave her for a woman he is having an affair with. Their marriage has been marked by heartache and miscommunication in the 20 years since their oldest daughter died; the pain of losing a child proved to be more than either could bear. To collect herself and reconnect to her Christian faith, Savannah takes a vacation to her parents’ lake house in the Berkshires. In her absence, her 16-year-old daughter, Zoe, who remains at home, struggles to reconcile her father’s affair with her image of him. To help Zoe, Savannah feels pressured to forgive and reunite with Kevin, who wants to still see her frequently. When Kevin decides that he wants Savannah back, he upends her healing process, making for a messy finale that is fraught but realistic. West’s skillful tale of betrayal, silence, and guilt finishes on a resilient (if never cheery) note. (May)