A Mr. and Mrs. Giesbrecht are foster parents in the novel WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT by Kamloops-based author and professor Karen Hofmann. From the Giesbrechts' name and details in the story, I gather they're Mennonites. That's my ancestral background too (Dutch-German Mennonite from Russia). It's also the background of the main characters in my novel CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS, so I was especially interested in Hofmann's Giesbrechts.
This couple take in two of five siblings left homeless after their father dies in the remote coastal British Columbia community of Butterfly Lake.
What happens to the displaced siblings? Mandalay becomes sort of a butterfly, moving from relationship to relationship to relationship. Che dies, and Cleo blames herself because she didn't help him as much as she could. She seeks solace and stability in an uninspiring, restrictive marriage. Cliff, who is developmentally challenged, enjoys his job as a gardener, but gets involved with an unsuitable woman who almost kills him when he leaves her. Ben, like his siblings, wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but acquires one when he's adopted by a wealthy lawyer couple.
The author kept me intrigued with her characters' lives and interactions, most of which take place in Vancouver in relatively recent times. A major theme of the novel is children's needs and how they can be misunderstood by seemingly well-meaning people. Another theme is contrasts between rich folks and those who are less well off. Perhaps the most important theme is the strength of the human spirit and of family connections.
The book's cover and title sell it short in my opinion. It's a more dynamic, sophisticated, and thoughtful story than they seem to suggest. Thanks for writing it, Karen Hofmann. The book is available on Amazon, Chapters Indigo, and elsewhere.
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