The Holding, by author Lynda Faye Schmidt, is the much-anticipated prequel to The Healing. Based on true events, the story follows protagonist, Cate Henderson, back to the beginning, to her birth in a small prairie town in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Born six weeks premature, baby Cate is tiny, but feisty and determined. It isn't long before her parents discover how Cate's radiant smile can light up a room, entrancing everyone who meets her. But it is the relationship that unfolds between Cate and her father, William, that is the heart of this novel.

Character-driven and an emotional read that addresses difficult issues including child abuse, rape, and teen pregnancy, delicately yet truthfully.The Holding describes the impact one person can have on another and the incredible power of love to transform. It is a story of hope, of recovery, and resilience that will have the reader rooting for Cate and in the end, for the survivor spirit that lives inside all of us.

The Holding is dedicated with love, devotion, respect, and limitless gratitude to Kenneth William Smith, 1938- 2000.