Can memories hold the key to unlocking hearts and finding uncommon heroes? After losing their mothers at six, Gretchen Gardener and Hayden Tucker grew up to find Love at the Center of Grief. Welcome back to Summerfort, Missouri, where the holiday season is underway. Gretchen and Hayden share something in common with their widowed dads—the dating scene. But did their dads have to choose the counselors from school and the grief center? Can this small town on the outskirts of Branson deal with this much romance in the midst of grief? Gretchen writes Dear Mom entries in her grief journal. She tells her mom she's dealing well with her OCD. But is she keeping secrets too deep to tell anyone—even her loving boyfriend, Hayden? Gretchen obsessively compares herself to others while reliving hurts. The lovingly creative and overthinking Gretchen cannot always get out of her own head. Gretchen's on a collision course with jealousy, desiring what others take for granted. Can she find the recipe she needs to fight against envy? Or will she risk cutting off everyone she loves? Inside his grief journal, Hayden writes his mom. He hopes to rebuild the broken family bonds, removing fear and guilt. And he's concerned his Summerfort Grief Center world might stumble into his home life since his dad now dates the founder. Hayden also wishes to understand the meaning between a secret and a surprise since his family might be keeping things from him. Will he jump to conclusions, unraveling family secrets and memories? And if secrets involve Gretchen, when is he obligated to tell? Beyond the Center of Grief offers an unapologetic perspective of grief, complete with every emotion. No exact recipe exists to fix grief, but some ingredients are healthier coping skills than others. In Beyond the Center of Grief, inspiration emerges from unlikely characters, narrated by Gretchen and Hayden with empathy and humor. It delivers a message of friendship, forgiveness, family, and fun. Ultimately, it's taking a walk with another through grief to find hope. Beyond the Center of Grief will appeal to fans of Julie Buxbaum's Hope and Other Punchlines, Val Emmich's Dear Evan Hansen, and Kathleen Glasgow. It's like a teen version of This is Us.
