Then Came Heaven

Late summer, Browerville, Minnesota, 1950: Life is just about perfect for Eddie Olczak. A devoted husband and father, a man of unshakable faith, he derives intense pleasure from the life he’s built with his beloved wife, Krystyna, and their two daughters, and from his work as dedicated handyman for St. Joseph’s, the Catholic church that is the cornerstone of Browerville. But when a tragic accident cuts Krystyna’s life short, Eddie is sure his heart is broken forever.

As friends and relatives rally around the family in the dark days that follow, there is one person who is unable to express what the loss of Krystyna means to her. Sister Regina, the girls’ teacher at St. Joseph’s school, has always felt a special affinity for the family. Yet her religious vows prevent her from becoming too close to them, even in their time of need. Now, the strict rules of the Benedictine sisterhood, which once gave her life a sense of meaning, chafe at her.

As Sister Regina and Eddie Olczak continue to cross paths, they realize there is something between them—a connection that somehow goes beyond their shared love of Krystyna and the girls. Thrilled—and secretly frightened—they both must summon the courage to look within their hearts and make their own choices.

A Literary Guild Main Selection