The Listening Heart

Dolan Hayes has built his life around helping others. As a compassionate counselor at The Redwood Reading Nook his piercing blue eyes and genuine empathy draw people seeking guidance and hope. But when he encounters Walter Griffith—a gruff guarded volunteer at the Havenwood Community Garden—Dolan meets someone who challenges everything he thought he knew about reaching people. As Dolan pours himself into breaking through Walter's thorny exterior his best friend Ellie watches with growing concern. The man who gives endlessly to everyone else is slowly withering away unable to follow his own wise counsel about self-care. A heartwarming tale about the courage to be vulnerable the strength found in true friendship and learning that sometimes the person who needs healing most is the one doing all the helping.