by Karen White
First published 2014
Vivien Walker swore she would never return to the Mississippi Delta after leaving nine years ago. But a broken marriage and shattered dreams of motherhood drive her back to the place she escaped. She comes home seeking comfort from Bootsie, the grandmother who raised her and always made things right. Instead, Vivien discovers that Bootsie has died and her estranged mother's memory is fading. Suddenly responsible for caring for her mother, Vivien struggles to reconnect with the person she used to be. Everything changes when a violent storm unearths the bones of a woman who died long ago, buried near the Walker family home by the cypress swamp. The discovery forces Vivien to confront the truth about her family's history. To find herself again, she must dig up the secrets that have created a pattern of loss among Walker women across generations and finally break the cycle that has trapped them all.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, second-chance, secrets
Setting: Mississippi Delta, Walker Family Home
Period: 9 Years Ago
432 pages · Hardcover · Berkley