The New York Times bestselling author of the Tradd Street novels explores a Southern family’s buried history, which will change the life of the woman who unearths it, secret by shattering secret. Two years after the death of her husband, Merritt Heyward receives unexpected news—Cal’s family home in Beaufort, South Carolina, bequeathed by his reclusive grandmother, now belongs to Merritt. In … belongs to Merritt.
In Beaufort, the secrets of Cal’s unspoken-of past reside among the pluff mud and jasmine of the ancestral Heyward home on the Bluff. This unknown legacy, now Merritt’s, will change and define her as she navigates her new life—a life complicated by the arrival of her too young stepmother and ten-year-old half brother.
Soon, in this house of strangers, Merritt is forced into unraveling the Heyward family past as she faces her own fears and finds the healing she needs in the salt air of the Lowcountry.
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Interesting
Enjoyed
I enjoyed this book but it really was about something I didn’t anticipate from the title. Because it covers two time periods, it shows the passing on, as it were, of things that have tragic results. I’m not sure how realistic it is but it is thought provoking
Read this book
GREAT book. Love her writing. Highly recommend.
I enjoyed this book
Keep the Kleenex nearby as you join Merritt, a widow from Maine, as she moves to the south. Between her past traumas, meeting a brother-in-law she hadn’t known about, inheriting the family home, meeting her step brother and his mom……wow!
Gibbes is the handsome brother of Cal, Merritt’s dead husband. He wants to learn why his brother just up and left and never returned. Then there is Loralee, the stepmom Merritt ignored, only to find her and Owen on her doorstep. And Edith, the grandmother of Cal and Gibbes, why did she leave the home only to Cal?
The southern flavor is throughout and funny as Loralee tries to explain the proper etiquette to Merritt. You order a coke, never a pepsi, you expect visitors to just show up, so have sweet tea and food on hand. And be polite and listen …….and as hard as Merritt tries to hate Loralee and her bits of wisdom, she learns. Owen is a brother in sesrch of a sister and home and lessons on surviving bullying.
There is an underlying story about Edith, her marriage, her son and grandsons and a pattern of domestic abuse.
The story unfolds naturally and pulls you in to smelling the mud, the rain and the fact that even dark at night…there is still light.
I adored Loralee and her book of truths and her deep love of her son Owen. She handles each situation calmly and with wisdom. There are family secrets, some surprises and the longing everyone has for a family….doesn’t have to be a mom and dad but people united and caring for each other. Get your tissues as you laugh, you cry and you sigh a bit at the end.
Karen White always writes a good book.
This book, at its core, is about abuse, and the measures desperate women take after suffering repeated abuse from the men they love. It’s also about love and the south and being redeemed. It sticks with you. There’s a huge impact.
I absolutely loved this book. Brought me smiles and tears.
Not one of her best
Loved the story. Loved how she blended the past with the present VERY creatively
Beautifully written. Great story with several intricate interlacing plots and characters. Love Karen White. She always has some architectural pieces in her plot which are fascinating.
I have loved many of Karen White’s books and this one didn’t disappoint. I love the way the characters interact. The story has its share of tragedy and how the characters dealt with it. Well done.
Love all of her books
A sad but hopeful commentary on abused women told in an unusual way. Very witty at times and well-written. I recommend it. It’s good reading.
Great book!
I am conflicted, because,while the writing is lovely and descriptive, It was just too long. This book was repetitive,which made reading a basically very good book tedious. I found myself skimming, because the narrative should have been shortened, a lot. The characters were likable, and the twist is very original. I think it would make a good Movie
It was a great read! Well-written and characters one can empathize with and relate to real life situations.
I love every Karen White book I’ve read! She pulls me in every time!