From End to Beginning, by Karen Chalfen

From End to Beginning is a compelling work of women’s fiction that blends nostalgia, suspense, and lingering spirits.

When newly widowed Frances Prescott, her daughter-in-law Martha (a Vietnam widow), and two adult granddaughters, Jessica and Cory, gather to plan a memorial service for Frances’s late husband, Corbett Prescott, they must also confront long-held secrets. Corbett was the venerated headmaster and chaplain of Hallfield Academy, and with only four days before the students leave for their holiday break, the women come together to honor his memory—and stay safe.

As they navigate their grief, deceit is uncovered, a dangerous pursuit is thwarted, and truths are revealed. Through vivid flashbacks and carefully crafted character details, readers are drawn into the world of the Prescotts and experience their emotions, struggles, and triumphs. The tensions among them keep readers engaged and eager to discover how things will unfold. In the end, the women’s individual strengths—resilience, kindness, and wisdom—emerge in unexpected ways, offering hope and growth in their shared period of loss and recovery.