Showing Expectations by Melanie M. Jeschke

Expectations
The Oxford Chronicles
Melanie M. Jeschke



An unforgettable tale of dreams pursued
in Tolkien’s Oxford and romantic Paris

From the humble Oxford home of Edith and J.R.R. Tolkien to the sophisticated culture of Paris, this inspiring sequel to Inklings and Intentions follows a complex journey through loss and recovery.

In the autumn of 1965, four members of the Oxford University Inklings Society face different challenges as they hurry to their agreed-upon rendezvous at the Eastgate Hotel. Newlywed Kate MacKenzie has just learned that her constant nausea is due to an unplanned pregnancy. Her husband David is bursting with the good news that he has been invited to spend a semester as a visiting lecturer at the American College in Paris. Yvette Goodman, though a successful scholar, is struggling with her disappointment in her single status as her twenty-ninth birthday looms ahead. Oxford don Austen Holmes makes a detour to the St. Cross cemetery, where he pays a brief visit to the grave of his young wife.

They all believe they have a glimpse into what their futures hold. They all have dreams and longings, as well as disappointments and sorrows. Will God provide for Kate, David, Yvette, and Austen as they hope He will, or is His plan for each of them something far beyond their expectations?


“The wonder of C.S. Lewis's and J.R.R. Tolkien's Oxford, the joy of romance, and the challenge of faithful commitment in a fallen world—in Melanie Jeschke's gifted hands, these are the ingredients for a great love story and, more importantly, a renewed and renewing celebration of God's grace and mercy.”

—Dr. Bruce Edwards, C.S. Lewis Scholar and editor of Further Up & Further In: Understanding C.S. Lewis’s the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.