Like no other novel that I have had the pleasure of reading, Moresi takes us back 25 years prior to when the couple first meets and falls in love. We learn the struggles that Corrie & Sam have to deal with over the years which begin with teenage pregnancy. Corrie's mother does not approve of Sam and is ashamed of her careless daughter. Corrie and Sam choose to get married and have their daughter, Lauren. With little money, the couple moves into a garage apartment and try to make ends meet. Corrie's mother is trying to swallow the choices that she has made until she learns that Corrie is pregnant with her second child.

Suburban Renewal is filled with Corrie & Sam's struggles - from his father coming back into his life, raising teenagers, unemployment, AIDS and suicide.