National Network for Equitable Library Service

Joe is the successful screenwriter behind a series of blockbuster movies, but his personal life is in shambles. He hasn't had a date in over eighteen years, and his relationship with the daughter he raised by himself has gone off the rails. Once a sweet and affectionate child, Sofia's personality changed dramatically in her early teens, and her increasingly explosive, irrational behavior has wreaked havoc on Joe's family back home in the Bronx. During a visit with a specialist after experiencing neck pain, Joe meets a Kentucky-born beauty, Jennifer, who is a pediatric oncology nurse, and over lunch they hit it off. Joe soon learns how affable, charming, intelligent, and compassionate Jennifer is, and quickly moves to make room for her in his life. For the first time in decades, he can see the possibility of a real romantic relationship, but it's not long before Sofia's behavior begins to interfere with his one chance at love. As the relationships between the daughter, the nurse, and Joe intertwine, Joe discovers what it means to be a family, and he learns just how dark life can be for those whose families are torn apart by illness and loss. His grasp of what's really important shifts from the make-believe world of the movies to the everlasting hope that we can all make a positive difference for those fighting just to live.