First published 1995
Driven from her mansion, Ruby returns to the bayou, determined to create a secure home for her infant daughter Pearl. When her first love Paul Tate, now a wealthy man, sweeps Ruby into his grand estate, it seems her fortunes have changed. But the mansion's walls cannot erase Ruby's traumatic past—or the threat of her vengeful twin Gisselle. As Ruby navigates her precarious new life, she must confront the shocking truths that haunt her, and fight to build the family she's always craved.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, mystery, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Louisiana, New Orleans (La.), New Orleans, Cypress Woods, Louisville, Kentucky, United States, Baton Rouge
Period: 20th-century
344 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Pocket Books
Content warnings: abuse, domestic-violence