Faded Lives

Have you ever wondered if the stories from your family's past were really true? When Mark Stephens takes a week long trip to visit his elderly grandmother, Emily Goodman, he is confronted by the reality of his family's secret past. She reveals how her father Frank's desire to control her life and the lives of her family members made them virtual prisoners. Emily's father, Frank Vandermeer, is a man trying to escape his past; the mysterious death of his first wife, a witness who speaks from the grave, and a child who vanishes into thin air. When a private investigator, hired by his ex-father-in law, shows up unexpectedly, Frank fears his past may have finally caught up to him. Helen, Frank's second wife, is trapped by her own fears and bound by her religious beliefs concerning marriage. Son Frank Jr., manipulated by his father to become heir to the family business, struggles under the pressure. Levi, the middle child, longs for the freedom to make his own path in life. Daughter Emily struggles to overcome her father's manipulation, so she can marry the man she loves. Fate conspires to bring the struggles of Frank and his family to a climactic conclusion. In the process of sharing her secret, Emily and Mark's bond grows deeper. In turn, she helps him come to an important decision in his own life. The ending will make you think about what really matters most in life.