After the Leaves Fall

Julia DeSmit can’t wait for her life to begin. After her mother leaves when Julia is nine years old, she’s raised by an unassuming, gentle father and a saintly, matriarchal grandmother until her father dies just as Julia is becoming a young adult.

On the cusp of womanhood, Julia feels jaded by her circumstances and longs for a new identity. College seems like the perfect place to start over. But when Julia makes a mistake that will change her life forever, she returns to her grandmother’s farm, defeated and convinced of her own worthlessness. Only through the gentle prodding of her loving grandmother does Julia begin to accept the imprint her childhood has left on her life and look for hope in a loving God who longs to make all things new.

Staff Recommended!
Carissa says, "The first book published by my Grade 9 English teacher! Nicole taught at MEI High School for a few years before moving back to the States with her husband and kids. Her unique writing style captures your attention and emotions as you connect with Julia as she grows up and reinvents herself at college before making a decision that will change her life forever. Julia's struggles will tug at your heart as she starts over. Don't forget to read the sequel, "Summer Snow"(though I probably don't have to remind you).

Publisher's Preview

Julia DeSmit's life has been marked by loss. After her mother leaves and her father dies when she's just sixteen, Julia is determined to escape the confines of her gossipy, conservative Christian town. When her best friend and first love, Thomas, breaks her heart, Julia leaves for college - the perfect place to reinvent herself. But one wrong decision changes her forever, and she returns to her grandmother's farm, weary and defeated. Yet hope takes root in unexpected places, and Julia discovers that starting over looks nothing like she imagined. A beautiful coming-of-age story infused with hope and the enduring promise of a loving Lord who longs to make all things new.