From Hardship to Hope, a fictionalized shared autobiography, walks us into the complexities of two women’s parallel universes.

Ruby Blue, a pregnant, homeless, Black teen is temporarily housed with Zoe, a White, olding widow, as Covid-19 interrupts their lives.

After a stormy start, the women begin to build trust, sharing increasingly insightful life experiences as they stay together. Zoe knows her world through books and travel. Ruby Blue knows her world through life on the streets.

At the same time the pandemic slows the pace of life, the Black Lives Movement roils out of the unrest and the inequalities -- laid bare by Covid-19 -- showcasing disparities that Zoe and Ruby Blue struggle with.

Over time, they share stories and secrets about family differences in favorite foods, hair styles, skin care, and history. Then, carefully, yet often bluntly, they compassionately move to discussing tough topics, each from her own background. Race. Age. Gender. Poverty. Health. Pregnancy. Adoption. Protests. Police. Incarceration. Death. Trust. Love.

From Hardship to Hope challenges us to consider where our -- often strongly held -- different beliefs and assumptions about reality come from.

How do we dare to question these realities we so strongly believe?

How do we come to see that our understanding is ultimately subjective; that other people authentically experience different realities?

And then, ultimately, what do we do with this knowledge? How do we come away with hope?