We Promised — Linda Kay

C. Clyde Squires depicts abiding love in a print of a couple with a child. This artwork is a part of a series of five prints of the stages of love, given to my grandmother in 1916 for her bridal shower. The prints serve as an inspiration for the novels written for each. The first is mother love in Annies Love, the second is puppy love in Sophie Writes a Love Story, and the third is Out of Darkness to Accepted Love.

In love in their high school years, Colin and Carrie marry shortly after graduation while Colin is still in college. Together they face the usual challenges of married life, raising three boys on a farm in the Midwest. As with many women when the children are grown, Carrie reluctantly begins a career in banking. Her life is divided between her children, her career, and her parents in their declining years.

The farming business grows substantially, giving them both hope for a happy future. A series of falls and consistent pain in her knees sends Carrie to doctors to determine the cause. The diagnosis of a progressive muscle deterioration changes their future dramatically. Despite the prognosis and their plans for the future, Colin and Carrie work together to research the disease and discover and invent tools to aid Carrie. The love that began in their youth becomes an example of abiding love, one that overcomes all obstacles.

The book shares conversations with family members in telling their story. It is filled with laughter, tragedy, and hope for each new day. Those who have faced many life challenges will relate to how the future can quickly change.

Books by Linda Kay:
Flavors from the Past: Memoirs and Recipes of Wilma Weiland Diekhoff
Annies Love
Sophie Writes a Love Story
Out of Darkness to Accepted Love