The kindness of strangers: a novel

On a quiet street in the suburban Midwest, a popular, seemingly stable family keeps a terrible, dark secret behind closed doors -- a secret that will have life-changing consequences for all who know them Sarah Laden, a young widow and mother of two, struggles to keep her family together. Since the death of her husband, her high-school-age son, Nate, has developed a rebellious streak, constantly falling in and out of trouble. Her kindhearted younger son, Danny, though well behaved, struggles to pass his remedial classes. All the while, Sarah must make ends meet by running a catering business out of her home. But when a shocking and unbelievable revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another young boy into her already tumultuous life. Jordan, a quiet and reclusive elementary-school boy and classmate of Danny's, has survived a terrible tragedy, leaving him without a family. When Sarah becomes Jordan's foster... “A moving novel” of a family's struggle with trauma written in “clear prose” that lends “a luminous quality to [a] story of thriving against the odds”(People magazine).Sarah Laden, a young widow and mother of two, struggles to keep her family together. Since the death of her husband, her teenage son, Nate, has developed a rebellious streak. Her kindhearted younger son, Danny, struggles to pass his remedial classes. All the while, Sarah must make ends meet by running a catering business out of her home. But when a shocking and unbelievable revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another young boy into her already tumultuous life.Jordan, a quiet and reclusive elementary-school boy and classmate of Danny's, has survived a terrible tragedy, leaving him without a family. When Sarah becomes Jordan's foster mother, a relationship develops that will force her to question the things of which she thought she was so sure. Yet Sarah is not the only one changed by this young boy, and as the delicate balance that holds her family together begins to falter, the Ladens will all face truths about themselves and one another—and discover the power of love to forgive and to heal.Powerful and poignant, The Kindness of Strangers is a shocking look at how the tragedy of a single family in a small suburban town can affect so many. Katrina Kittle has created a haunting vision of the secret lives of the people we think we know best, and with heartrending storytelling, reveals that redemption is always possible. “Kittle crafts a disturbing but compelling story line.... [A] gripping read.” —Publishers Weekly“Utterly compelling.... [A] heartbreaking story.” —Kirkus Reviews A young widow raising two boys, Sarah Laden is struggling to keep her family together. But when a shocking revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another troubled young boy into her already tumultuous life. Jordan, a quiet, reclusive elementary school classmate of Sarah's son Danny, has survived a terrible ordeal. By agreeing to become Jordan's foster mother, Sarah will be forced to question the things she has long believed. And as the delicate threads that bind their family begin to unravel, all the Ladens will have to face difficult truths about themselves and one anotherand discover the power of love necessary to forgive and to heal. Sarah Laden Is A Widow With Two Sons, Nate And Danny, And A Thriving Catering Business. Her Best Friend, Courtney, Helped Her Through The Horrible Days After Her Husband's Death And Is Always There When She's Needed. Her Son, Jordan, Is Even Danny's Best Friend. Then One Day All That Changes. In A Nightmare Chain Of Events, Sarah Discovers That She Really Didn't Know Courtney At All And Poor, Odd Jordan Has Been Living A Hell No One Could Imagine. As Courtney Waits In Jail, Sarah Decides At The Request Of Her Older Son, Nate, To Take On The Foster Care Of Jordan, With All Its Painful Ramifications. Katrina Kittle. Young widow and mother of two Sarah Laden becomes the foster mother to Jordan, a neighborhood boy who has survived a terrible tragedy, but when the delicate balance that holds her family together begins to crumble, the Ladens will all face truths about themselves and one another