Sara's Father Once, skinny Erin Delaney and popular Sam Stone shared teenage high jinks, loads of laughter…and a breathless, tentative passion. But their futures had lain far afield—wrenching Erin away, wedding Sam to Erin's sister. And what might have been…never was. Now, an endless decade later, Erin again plunged deep into Sam's unforgettable gaze—over the head of a feisty, motherless tot who called Sam "Daddy." Irrepressible little Sara stole Erin's heart…yet made her ache with secret sorrow. Now with Sara's every hungry smile and Sam's tormenting touches, the past haunted Erin, taunted her, with what might never be….

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1985.

It was one of the happiest days of Sara Ann’s life, it was spring break and her father bought a new boat. He wanted to surprise his daughter and take her on her first trip on a boat in the ocean. Sara lost her mother a few years ago to cancer, and her father took it hard and knew in his heart no other woman could ever fill that hole in his heart so he just focused on his only daughter Sara Ann, and made sure she never did without, and always put her first because Sara was very close to her mother, and he had not always been around because of working so many hours at his job and decided to do the best he could to raise her in a loving home so she could grow up and be the best person she could like her mother. Sara’s father bought the boat so he could spend more time with his daughter and let her see the beauty of the ocean even though it was short-lived. Sara’s father blindfolded his daughter and took her to his barn where he hid the boat from Sara for a surprise. When Sara entered the barn her father took off the blindfold and Sara said “It’s beautiful father.” Then her father said I’ve got another surprise and he took her by the hand around the other side of the boat and said “You can open your eyes now.” Sara cried tears of joy and said “That’s my name!” Her father chimed in and said, “I named the boat after you because when you were born it was the happiest day of your mom and I lives.” Sara gave her dad a hug and thanked him. Her father said, “Why don’t we take it for a spin?” Sara said, “That would be so cool!” “I can only be gone for an hour because I promised my friends I would go with them on our spring break.” Her father replied, “That’s fine I know you’re excited about going on this trip and there will always be more trips on the boat in the days to come.” “Remember, I was young once too and I could not wait to go on spring break with my friends so no big deal.” Sara’s father hooked up the boat to his truck and the two drove happily to the dock and set sail in the ocean on a clear beautiful sunny day. Even though Sara’s father read the stories about the Bermuda Triangle, he just thought they were all explainable and not mysterious disappearances as were written about in many books.

Sarabande is a novel presented mostly through the rapid-fire interactions of the characters in one-on-one situations or in small groups. Most of the novel revolves around the male protagonist, the journalist Pavlo Dudnyk, who takes his schoolhood friend Sara Polonsky as his second wife. Sara, who blossomed from an inconspicuous overweight adolescent into a vivacious woman, used to mock him in school with the nickname “Underbutt” for his bony derriere that always needed padding on the classroom chairs. When Pavlo marries Sara, he doesn’t realize at first that he’s also married into her extended family, Sara’s band of Polonskys, with their myriad quirks and manifestations of peculiar behavior.

Sara's Father Once, skinny Erin Delaney and popular Sam Stone shared teenage high jinks, loads of laughter...and a breathless, tentative passion. But their futures had lain far afield--wrenching Erin away, wedding Sam to Erin's sister. And what might have been...never was. Now, an endless decade later, Erin again plunged deep into Sam's unforgettable gaze--over the head of a feisty, motherless tot who called Sam "Daddy." Irrepressible little Sara stole Erin's heart...yet made her ache with secret sorrow. Now with Sara's every hungry smile and Sam's tormenting touches, the past haunted Erin, taunted her, with what might never be....

Sara's Story is a work of romantic fiction. Sara is a young woman in her early twenties. She works in a family restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. Sara struggles with her memories of a chaotic childhood and her present day reality. Then she meets James; a romance begins. Sara discovers her inner strengths.

Sara would choose to be remembered for the person she was-a whole person having lived a full, productive life. She was far more than one who succumbed to Alzheimer's disease. Her story is of one who overcame obstacles by virtue of her inherent gifts. She made her mark as a faithful wife, mother, and exemplary educator. In her chosen field of speech therapy, she was trained by pioneering professionals who found in her the perfect disciple. Sara touched the lives directly and indirectly of many thousands of children in a vital way. That way was through helping children and youth to build their speech and language skills. She constantly emphasized the pragmatics of communication-communication that was practical, effective, and facilitative of positive interpersonal relationships. She had health problems to contend with and she did so with courage. In later life, she was able to deal with Alzheimer's in a dignified way. She had the aid of others in doing so. Particularly, she had her husband who stood by her, demonstrating the power of love. The story of this love is told dramatically through her husband's journal written during the crucial years of their battle with this tragic disease.