A Stranger’s Heart

A Stranger's heart shows the journey of a young Jacinta following the death of her mother. Her father----distraught over the death of his wife----never recovered. Shortly after his wife's death, Jacinta's father took her to live with her aunt, an interestingly strange woman, a double-amputee who watched over her own brood of children, but agreed to take in her niece. Jacinta did not suffer great strife at the hands of her cousins, but they always made her know that she was an outsider. It was at her Auntie Bertha's house that Jacinta had a small but significant, frightful experience one night, and out of the desire to not appear cowardly, she rose to the occasion, gathered her courage, and moved on through the frightening moment. Showing her bravery in the face of a challenge gained her trust from her cousins, but most important, it was the first instance in which she trusted her own young self. From that moment on, Jacinta knew herself to be strong and courageous---at least on one level. Later in life, Jacinta befriended an older, wealthy woman who owned property in Blacksfield (Jacinta's Caribbean home). At the woman's death, she learned that she was the beneficiary of a Bed & Breakfast. Some time after that Jacinta meets Tyrone while on a trip to America. Having never dealt with passions of the heart, this possible romance both frightens and intrigues her. This story is about her confronting her attraction, then love, her mistrust and vulnerability, then desire. Jacinta has to choose courage in the face of doubt, or safety without the love of her life. What will she choose?