Erika Frost’s first novel, The Berenstain Bears, was an instant success, garnering rave reviews and selling more than a million copies in hardcover. Set in present day California, The Berenstain Bears follows the idyllic life of Erika Frost as she falls head-over-heels in love with a young man from England. Although the relationship is one of love and faith, it is not without the usual complications that come with dating someone of another race, ethnicity, or Nationality.
After accepting the sad news of her parents’ untimely death, Erika impulsively marries a man who is half her age, despite his previous boasts of never having married and living independently. Seeking to continue the life she has so recently come to terms with, Erika impulsively marries a man named Michael Fairley who happens to be a junior in the same high school as her mother and half German. The newlyweds quickly realize that their marital problems are caused by a myriad of reasons, ranging from a strained love affair to Erika’s own feelings of inadequacy. Michael and Erika spend much of their early years together, during which they share many adventures and have a number of memorable encounters that are chronicled throughout the novels. Their relationship begins to seem stable until one day, following a particularly trying experience, Michael expresses his wish to leave Erika and marry Graciella Rivers, a woman who is close to his heart. When Erika is devastated by this suggestion and refuses to give up her marriage, Michael finally caves in and agrees to Graciella’s wishes, but on the condition that she marries him within a year.
Unbeknownst to Erika, Graciella’s parents, Dr. Frank and Mrs. Patience, have been secretly placing ads in local women’s newspapers, offering a twenty-five dollar catch for anyone who will help them win Graciella as their daughter’s future wife. Although Erika initially objects to the idea, it is eventually revealed that she will receive a substantial portion of the catch if she agrees to marry Michael. On the day of the wedding, Erika suffers a heart attack, and the paramedics are immediately called to take care of her. While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, Erika is visited by a man named Marcus who urges her to go with him to marry Graciella. With no other choice, Erika agrees to marry Marcus and accompany him to Graciella’s wedding, where she is dismayed to learn that all of Graciella’s jewelry has been taken by the new Mr. Jones, who promptly leaves.