Iris is a pastoral hamlet in Prince Edward Island, full of people doing their best to live good lives. These folks help each other out—raising barns, raising children, and raising money whenever anyone's in need. People have found home there: Jon, a professor who took a sabbatical in Iris to heal from his terrible childhood, is now a full-fledged community member, a husband and farmer. Jimmy, formerly a violent alcoholic, has found peace in the church and turned his life around completely. Idyllic Iris really is a place of miracles for so many, a place that feels like it's from another time.

But it's not another time. It's 1967 now, and just when things seem to have settled for everyone, the outside world is asserting itself in Iris. Long-haired, far-out Dan rolls into town in what can only be described as a hippie van. His borrowed cabin is a complete mess, he doesn't seem to have any occupation to speak of, he blasts horrible music, and he always seems to be surrounded by clouds of odd-smelling smoke.

Is there any room for Dan in this little community? Can Jon, Jimmy, and everyone else channel Iris magic one more time?

Or has this place of miracles finally met its match?

This uplifting, heartfelt sequel to Linda Stewart's Beautiful Sadness brings the reader back to the turmoil of the late 1960s, when old ways were forced to meet new—and sometimes found more common ground than anyone expected.

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.

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