Patti Townley-Covert wants to escape the pain. That means getting away from

• a husband who claims she’s frigid,
• visions of her MIA dad being tortured after he disappeared in Vietnam,
• the drudgery of working as a receptionist in her mother’s dental x-ray lab, and
• a world filled with chaos and civil unrest.

The third annual Caribbean cruise with her mom promises two weeks of freedom. But it also brings unexpected romance, when 24-year-old Patti met Jan, the ship’s Norwegian navigator. Far from home and her husband, Patti decides to embark on an exploration of her “self” and her “sexuality.” Yet, as she enters into a breathtaking no-strings-attached affair with Jan, she’s aware that their relationship can only last two weeks. Patti must not fall in love, however each port offers movie-worthy adventurous delights with this handsome international playboy. The determination to separate physical pleasure from her emotions instigates an unexpected struggle for survival. Will choosing a different path from her narcissistic mother offer hope or destroy Patti?

Years later, the challenges intensify as Jan reveals his true feelings about their relationship. Her mother’s death, a stunning revelation about her father, the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, and other world events escalate the drama. Yet the powerful imagery of the Windblown Girl provides hope for Patti’s identity, sexuality, and a concept of justice independent of circumstances and cultural dictates. Holding a book behind her back, this porcelain figurine stands confident on the solid rock of Christ no matter how fierce life’s winds blow. The question is can Patti do the same?

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