A Season in the South

By Marci Alborghetti

A Season in the South

A Season in the South by Marci Alborghetti is a captivating, faith-centered novel that tells the inspirational story of Margaret, a middle-aged wife, mother, and breast cancer survivor from Connecticut. Facing not only her cancer diagnosis and treatment but also the painful breakdown of her long marriage, Margaret makes a bold decision: she leaves her familiar life behind to spend a healing winter season alone in Key West, Florida.

The novel traces her interior and exterior journey from lost faith, fear, anger, and despair to renewed hope, spiritual awakening, emotional strength, and a deeper trust in God. Set against the vibrant, restorative backdrop of Key West, the story weaves together themes of physical healing, marital grief, self-discovery, forgiveness, and rediscovering God's presence in unexpected places. It is written in an accessible, warm, and reflective style that blends fiction with gentle spiritual insight--ideal for readers navigating illness, loss, life transitions, or a crisis of faith. Many readers (including breast cancer survivors and former Floridians) describe it as compelling, inspiring, and deeply relatable.

Visit https: //catholicbookpublishing.com/ for more Catholic resources

Key Points

Facing dual crises with courage -- Margaret confronts breast cancer and the simultaneous collapse of her marriage, refusing to remain passive or broken.A journey of relocation and renewal -- Leaving the cold, familiar Northeast for a "season in the South" (Key West) becomes a powerful metaphor for stepping into healing, solitude, and new beginnings.From lost faith to restored hope -- The novel realistically portrays doubt, anger, and spiritual dryness, then shows a gradual, authentic return to faith through prayer, reflection, and God's quiet presence.Healing in body, mind, and spirit -- Integrates the physical reality of cancer treatment/recovery with emotional healing from betrayal and the deeper spiritual restoration that comes from surrender and trust.Self-discovery and strength -- Margaret finds inner resources, independence, and a renewed sense of identity she had lost in her roles as wife and mother.The redemptive power of place and solitude -- Key West's beauty, warmth, and slower pace serve as a "spiritual spa" for the soul, highlighting how environment and intentional time away can facilitate God's work.Forgiveness, grace, and new life -- Themes of letting go, forgiving (self and others), and embracing hope emerge as Margaret moves from victimhood to empowered, faith-filled living. Inspirational yet realistic fiction -- Blends honest struggle with uplifting Christian spirituality; suitable for individual reading, book clubs, or anyone seeking encouragement during illness, marital pain, or life-changing seasons

Visit https: //catholicbookpublishing.com/ for more Catholic resources

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1878718789
• ISBN13: 9781878718785
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Resurrection Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Blessed by the Season

In "A Season in the South" Marci Alborghetti poses the question, "Can cancer ever be a gift?" For her protagonist, Maggie, a woman diagnosed with breast cancer who leaves her family in Connecticut to spend time in Key West, the answer is definitely yes. Maggie's illness, at first devastating and soul shattering, eventually leads to spiritual transformation and healing -- in her own heart and the hearts of her family. As a survivor of breast cancer and a former Floridian, I found this novel to be compelling and inspiring. As Margaret moves from her old life in Connecticut to a new one in Florida, she comes to accept her illness and learns greater compassion. She also rediscovers God.

Love story to Key West

Marci Alborghetti?s ?A Season in the South? is more than just a story, a first novel or a quick read. It?s a journey of the human spirit not just for Margaret/Maggie, but for all of us. It?s a journey we are all on. She has taken the reader from winter in Connecticut to the warmth and wonder of a season in Key West. Margaret, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer and gone through treatments, leaves Old Saybrook, Connecticut, to confront her fears, her mortality and to find and reconnect with God. As Maggie, living in Florida, she is able to come to terms with her family, her disease, and most importantly her spiritual self, and her ability to communicate with God. She does not do this alone - she has a supporting cast of new and old acquaintances who help her on the long journey. For those who know Key West, Ms. Alborghetti has captured the essence of the area and to those who have not experienced Key West, they will. She has awakened (aroused) all the senses to the sights, sounds and smells of this paradise - you can actually hear the sun setting and the hush of the crowd at Sunset pier on Mallory Square. The local people of Key West believe in their philosophy we are all ?One Human Family,? and at any time you, too, can join that human family. Ms. Alborghetti?s book will stay with you long after the last page has been read. This is a love story to God, Key West and the human spirit. Recommended by Joe and Rita Apicelli