An Offering

How do we judge the worth of a person? What happens when we falter, when we commit acts that offend our own values? What effects do shame and silence have on our lives and relationships?

An Offering examines these questions as it depicts the struggle of Alice and her daughter, Lucy, to confront troubling aspects of themselves and their pasts. The effects of Lucy's and Alice's personal decisions come to challenge their identities, values, and self-worth. Ultimately, the novel is about embracing our experiences, strengths, and weaknesses. It is also about sharing, forgiveness, and accepting what life offers.

An Offering centers upon Alice, who lives in rural and metropolitan Minnesota during the Great Depression and after World War II, and her daughter, Lucy, growing up in suburban Ohio during the 1960s and 70s, and plagued by anorexia nervosa in her college years. Through the novel, we become acquainted with their separate experiences through the present day. Although Lucy's and Alice's personal struggles are similar, their relationship is blighted with division and conflict. The heart of the story is how Lucy and Alice begin to resolve that conflict within themselves, between one another, and inside the family.

An Offering follows the lives of Alice and Lucy from The Great Depression through the early 2000s. Both are challenged to fit in and find acceptance within the family and community. When she is sexually assaulted, Alice cannot accept herself or the consequences, and remains silent. Lucy, always an outsider, seeks worthiness in her young adulthood by severely limiting food intake. Later on, she struggles to accept an error she made as a nurse, and finds common ground with her mother as she raises her own children.

An Offering may interest those who are beguiled by human behavior, especially within the family, and in the larger world. Why do people take the actions they do? How do environment, family upbringing, our individual psyche, ego, and childhood experiences affect us? What aspects of ourselves can we change for the better (or worse)? Can we learn to accommodate flaws or weaknesses in our character so that we can cope better and persevere? If we understand human motivation and action, can we take steps to reduce individual suffering? Does honesty foster human understanding, or create more division?