First published 2026
Bailey Wester wants nothing to do with her family home in North Carolina. The Wester women have always made their small town uneasy with their strange ways and uncanny knowledge. For years, Bailey stayed away from Willamena, the grandmother who once rejected her. But when Willamena reaches out, Bailey finds herself pulled back into the whispers and old sorrows of Wester House. As grandmother and granddaughter reconnect, Bailey learns about Willamena's past. In 1976, young Willamena fell hard for a musician who promised escape from her controlled life. Their brief romance offered freedom until Willamena made a choice that trapped her forever. Now Bailey must understand the love and heartbreak that shaped the women in her family. She discovers the past wasn't trying to curse them but guide them home.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, magical-realism, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, bittersweet, emotional, intimate, introspective, lyrical
Tropes: found-family, generational-connection, second-chance-romance, secrets-revealed
Setting: North Carolina, Wester House
Period: 1976, contemporary
288 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press
Content warnings: death, emotional-abuse