I am in early stages of a book where a main character must learn to let go of her hate and rage. Her mother was murdered (by her father) and he is coming up for parole.
He is sober now and truly regrets everything that he did. He wants a chance at a new life, though he knows it won't be easy.
Will the past continue to shape how she sees the world and the men in it? Will she learn to let go of the past? Is she able to learn from it without being trapped by it?
She isn't a 'man hater' it is men + alcohol that triggers her.
She wants to do more than hurt her father.... anyone who reminds her of her father may be considered deserving of punishment.
Do you have Ideas on stages or progression of her personal development?
Part of the end game involves her decision not to oppose his release from prison. She doesn't want a relationship with him, she wants to walk away from the pain of the past and let go. He can seek redemption (or destroy himself) without her.
In a way, each of them is getting a new start, though both are too marked by the past for it to be a clean slate.
There will be some Christian themes, but not pushy or preachy.