Women’s Fiction
Strong Women. Powerful Stories.
By Kelly Irvin
Two sisters fight to restore their family before one of them’s time runs out.
The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos
Kristen Tremaine is a workaholic oncologist who spends more time with her patients than her husband and family. Kristen’s husband Daniel is a successful architect who appears to have it all—except he’s desperately lonely for his wife. Sherri Reynolds, Kristen’s sister, is a divorced kindergarten teacher who loves her students, working out, reading, and spending time with her grandkids. Then she’s diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer. Kristen and Sherri lost their mother to breast cancer when they were in high school. Their father had already abandoned them. This new crisis forces Kristen and Sherri to confront childhood wounds that never healed and reexamine their priorities for living life to its fullest now. Daniel has to decide if he can continue to live in the shadow of his wife’s career and dedication to saving patients because she couldn’t save her mother. The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos explores the deep human desire to stretch time, to do time better, and to rewind time, that comes when we know time is increasingly short.
The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos is a finalist in the women’s fiction and the audiobook categories of the 2024 Selah Awards contest sponsored by the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Association.
Available Now!
Women’s Fiction: Strong Women, Powerful Stories
The story behind the story
The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos was one of the hardest stories I’ve ever written, even though the words came quickly. That’s because I know the subject intimately. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer in 2016. I spent my 58th birthday in the hospital receiving my first chemotherapy treatment. Because my cancer had spread before it was diagnosed, I’ll be in treatment for the rest of my life. Which means doing research for The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos was relatively easy. I’ve spent years in cancer clinics, talking to oncologists, getting scans, sitting in infusion rooms receiving chemotherapy, and slogging through articles about potential breakthroughs in the treatment of ovarian cancer. The hard part was trying to corral the words that would convey to readers the emotional and spiritual toll that this disease exacts on its victims, their families, and their friends. The fight to stay positive in the onslaught of side effects, the dwindling treatment options, and the fear of what tomorrow might bring can be overwhelming. I know how Sherri and Kristen feel, but I gave my fictional sisters so many more obstacles to overcome, because that’s my role as the writer of their story–to test their faith to its limits. Ultimately theirs is a story of a family and relationships torn asunder and restored. We can all rest in the certainty that no matter what battles we face, our lives–no matter how short or long–have meaning and purpose.
Listen to Kelly’s interviews about the book
Shaped by FAITH Radio Show
The Best of Women’s Fiction podcast
Living with Cancer & Disability
Kelly talks about her latest book, The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos.
