Finding My Way Back Home
by Norman Giesbrecht

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Finding My Way Back Home tells the story of Nick and Lisa, two young adults from a small conservative community, from the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. After a teenage romance, the two meet again in 1965 as Nick is entering his last year at the University of British Columbia. Their relationship becomes intimate quickly, and Lisa discovers she is pregnant. Adamant that they do not want to marry right away, the two move to Vancouver, in part to avoid the scandal that they might face in their community. But Nick finds co-parenting an infant while being a student quite challenging, and he is tempted by the allure of campus life and two other women. Ultimately, Nick’s love for Lisa, including her exuberance and her zest for life, leads to his commitment to their life together. After five years in Vancouver, they move back to their rural community and return to the church. But the familiar setting is not immune to danger, and one day Nick overhears something that threatens his family.

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“In this novel the way back home is made possible by families that support and evolve over time on the path to understanding and acceptance. The novel portrays tenuous relationships that with time grow and thrive when they could have easily ended in alienation. Recognizable moments fill these pages: growing up, hard work, church community, family, and the always fully laden tables of baked goods. These moments mark the pathway back to home.” —JERRY NEUFELDT, Tecumseh Ontario “In Finding My Way Back Home, the flawed protagonists Nick and Lisa struggle to create a safe place to call home, and finally succeed. They do so against a backdrop of an immigrant Mennonite church that adapts over the decades to mainstream Canadian culture, but is deeply flawed as well. This novel is a fascinating story, or stories – since it spans half a lifetime – of guilt, failure, and ultimate redemption.” —ROBERT MARTENS, Poet, historian and editor living in Abbotsford, British Columbia "Finding My Way Back Home is a portrait of a Mennonite community. The brush strokes are fine and the picture that emerges from Norman Giesbrecht’s first novel is realistic, but it takes shape slowly, little by little. The details come to the reader through the eyes of Nick, a conflicted man, a familiar figure to me as he will be for many Mennonites. The surprise for me was how much I began to care for him as Giesbrecht’s compassion broke through the stereotype. At first Nick’s passivity drove me nuts. I wanted to pick the man up and shake him, warn him about the peace that has destroyed many and ask him if he learned nothing from Yasch Siemens. But the steadiness of Giesbrecht’s brushstrokes acted like a slow motion camera. I began to marvel at the strength of the man, which is not his own strength but something that he absorbs from the community around him, from being a person in relation to others in a community that values mutual aid. Nobody gets to be a saint, but as the conflicts build slowly with each brush stroke, they also get resolved slowly. Giesbrecht avoids the temptation to tie up all the loose ends and leaves the portrait hanging there. As I walked away from it and life went on, I looked back and realized it no longer looked so realistic. Giesbrecht had performed that old miracle, turning life into art. An admirable achievement." —MAGDALENE REDEKOP, Author of Making Believe: Questions About Mennonites and Art (2020

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Norman Giesbrecht is a retired academic who is still involved in public health advocacy and conducts research on alcohol issues. He has enjoyed home renovation projects, reading, music, and travel. Spending time with family, colleagues, and friends is important to him, which is why relationships and community are at the heart of his first novel.

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Norman Giesbrecht