In the suspenseful yet realistic novel The Widower's Redemption, Mike Kostensky's protagonist has lost not only his spouse but his own life in many ways. Coin battles the demons of his depression daily as he trudges through his routine. It takes a brutal winter storm hitting his small community along the rough waters of Lake Michigan to awaken him. Forgetting his own problems, he learns that life can rewrite itself as he finds out people, including himself, can and will help each other out. The cold Michigan winter is as much a character as the people in The Widower's Redemption are, though it's this created family that saves Coin. Under Kostensky's impassioned guidance, The Widower's Redemption becomes the coming-of-older-age tale we all need.