Echoes — Kristen Heitzmann

Even in the midst of her affectionate and chaotic Italian family all living in the Bronx neighborhood where she grew up, Sofie Michelli feels alone. For too long, she has been caught in a net of loss and despair. When an old woman murmurs, "Finchè c'è vita c'è speranza" Where there's life, there's hope, Sofie feels the familiar words penetrate and awaken something. She is alive. It is time to let go, to start again. Rese is not sure what to make of Lance Michelli's healing gift, but she feels protective of this humbled version of the swaggering man who turned her life inside out. As they find new footing, the Sonoma villa they once intended as an inn becomes a refuge for the downtrodden--including Lance's sister Sofie. Driven to protect the weak and innocent, Child Protective Service worker Matt Hammond responds to a call and finds an infant abandoned to the care of an odd assortment of misfits. He reserves judgment on the unconventional caregivers--who both concern and fascinate him--but he is especially drawn to Sofie, the mesmerizing woman with a dancer's poise, eyes like dark copper pennies--and scars on her wrists.