It is the 1960s and Professor Jon Andrews is haunted by memories of growing up in an abusive, ultra-religious home. He leaves his teaching job in Montreal to go to a cabin in Iris, Prince Edward Island, to write a novel based on his childhood. There he is taken under wing by a local farm family. When he experiences their love and kindness, he begins to see spirituality in a new light. When tragedy strikes the farm family, he is thrust into the life of a farmer. He knows nothing about farming but rises to the challenge as the four young sons teach and guide him. Love grows and there is small-town gossip and judgmental attitudes, and there are serious decisions to be made. In the end, more than one life is changed in astonishing and wonderful ways. In this new world of terrorism and catastrophic events beyond our control, Beautiful Sadness provides what audiences are craving right now — an uplifting and inspiring story that gives them a sense that there is still love and hope and goodness in the world. The novel is a fictional, inspirational romance, that captures the idiosyncrasies and historical aspects of Prince Edward Island.

Linda Stewart grew up with a strong sense of faith, family and community. These elements, as well as the beauty of the island landscape, unfailingly show up in her writings. Since her first piece published in 1990, her poetry, stories, and essays have appeared in many Canadian and U.S. journals, magazines, and anthologies, including DECISION magazine, published by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Besides writing, Linda enjoys playing the fiddle and has played for many ceilidhs and concerts. She has also been on stage as an actress in lead roles in a dozen community theatre productions. As a knitter, she has been featured in Threading the Needle, a documentary for Bell Media produced and directed by Louise Lalonde, with cinematographer Milleflores Clarkes.
Beautiful Sadness is the book that Linda Stewart wanted to read herself, so she wrote it. It uplifts, inspires, and wraps you like a warm hug. It was born out of her unique perspective of life in a small rural community. Linda has studied with professional Canadian screenwriters, Sharon Buckingham and Tom Shoebridge, and has written the film script for the novel.
Linda lives in Wood Islands, PEI, with her husband Brian and their precocious tuxedo cat Barney.

Linda Stewart's profile page