Beyond the Gate

She gets a housekeeping job for Roderick McCoy, a Vietnam vet tormented by PTSD and a shrinking existence. And then, Jessie meets Jakob Otteson, intelligent and autistic. Awkwardly, they become friends and then more, bonded by their differentness and their painful memories of being bullied. Jessie's cousin Kelly bumbles back into her life after years of absence, imposing, in her zany way, a sense of family on this motley crew. As Jessie and Jakob's love affair develops, however, the odd couple cannot foresee the precarious predicament awaiting them when the flames of Roderick's depression, fanned by addiction, form a crucible for these newly formed relationships. Either they will go down in flames or be refined. Courage, trust, forgiveness and grace can avert tragedy if... if they can let it happen.