Description

In this long-awaited sequel to the “unforgettable” (Boston Herald) bestseller Mrs. Mike, Benedict and Nancy Freedman paint a portrait of the World War II era—as seen through the eyes of a young Cree woman on her own for the very first time…

When her dear friend O Be Joyful died in a flu epidemic, Mrs. Mike Flanigan opened her home—and heart—to her orphaned child, Kathy Forquet. Over the years, young Kathy delighted in the Flanigans’ love—and suffered the pain of her schoolmates’ prejudice. But as the terrors of World War II drew closer to home, Kathy decided to leave her familiar home and do her part by going to a nursing school in Montreal. There her life fills with drama and excitement as she meets two very different men—a Native American who helps her understand her lost heritage, and a wounded Austrian soldier who shares fascinating stories of his exotic, embattled homeland. And as she learns about herself and the world beyond her hometown, she tries to find the elusive prize she has sought for so long: the meaning of true joy…

Richly detailed and emotionally powerful, The Search for Joyful is the inspiring story of a young woman’s courageous search for fulfillment—and the long-awaited new novel by the authors of the beloved Mrs. Mike, praised by Library Journal as “a book the reader will be unable to put down until the last page is read.”

About the Author

Benedict Freedman, the son and grandson of writers, was born in New York City in 1919. While in high school he studied accelerated courses for gifted boys and graduated with a medal for mathematics. At fourteen he entered Columbia University as a premed student, but had to drop out at sixteen because of his father's sudden death. For a time Benedict continued private study of higher mathematics. Freedman’s chief interest was in games and recreational mathematics, but he also assisted in writing a textbook and worked on actuarial problems as clerk to a consulting actuary.