Nicole Hardy never meant to rebel. Throughout her childhood, she assumed she would grow up, meet a suitable boy, marry young and have children like any girl raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Her church and family expected Nicole to consider all of her education and experiences as preparation for the eventuality of marriage and motherhood, a Mormon woman's highest calling. But as year after year passed without Mr. Right making his appearance, Nicole began to wonder: If God had destined her for marriage and motherhood, where was her husband-to-be? Why didn't she feel any desire to bear children? Why did her heart tell her she could only find fulfillment by pursuing a writing career? Most importantly, could she reconcile her faith with her true self?
Warm and straightforward, Hardy recounts her struggle to follow a path that continually presented her with dead ends. In the process, she gives readers an inside look at LDS culture and the frustration Mormon singles can face. Determined not to disappoint God or her parents, she faced years of sex-free dating and cutthroat competition from other women before aging out of the "singles ward" and into the pity and occasional contempt of her married LDS peers. Her story is one of quiet bravery, never bitterness, as her life experiences and the support of newfound friends finally give her the strength to seek the life she truly wants. --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth services manager at Latah County Library District and blogger at Infinite Reads