Ms. E. Ciby Emrie

Pipe Dreams Ms. E. Ciby Emrie

Gloria Harris, ne: Holland, a divorcee, social worker and nun-reject has reluctantly left her North Carolina house, job and man-friend to return to Baltimore - temporarily-- to assume family responsibilities. Her brief visit has turned from days into dismal months. After a welcome lunch, reuniting her with a childhood friend, Gloria is persuaded to direct a displaced homemakers group at a local Catholic college. Conditionally accepting this 6-week position, she forms friendships with four group members: Mari, a former New Orleans native and socialite widow, buried in hundreds of thousands of dollars debt from her late husband, and struggling to raise a teen-aged son alone; Ruth, a minister's wife whose husband left her, their son and his church with a homosexual disclosure; Sarah, a 40's something ex-hippie, whose Johns Hopkins fully-tenured professor husband has left her and their daughter for the Israeli army; Katie, a dental hygienist wife of a local periodontist, struggling with traumatic trials of divorce, while caring for her 3-year old and rebellious, teen-aged sons. Over the next 6 months, sometimes tragic, sometimes harrowing, but oftentimes humorous events unite these women in their quest for hope and a second chance for true happiness. This is a story of single-mothers pulling together, supporting one another and surviving against seemingly impossible odds, in attempt to redefine the perfect life.