First published 2025
In 1908, young Eliza Rivers roams the grounds of Mayfield, her family's grand Lowcountry estate, riding horses and studying wildlife while refusing the constraints placed on women of her era. The Great War arrives, bringing coastal storms and family upheaval that force Eliza to confront the rigid traditions of the American South. Eighty years later, Eliza has reached 88 and spent her lifetime protecting Mayfield from those who would destroy it. Now her own son threatens the estate's future with his greed. Too fierce and independent to step aside quietly, Eliza must choose between preserving her family's legacy and watching both the land and her descendants fracture beyond repair. Mary Alice Monroe delivers the first installment of a two-part saga spanning the twentieth century, following one woman's battle against time, tradition, and family betrayal in the changing landscape of South Carolina.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-legacy, generational-conflict, preservation
Setting: Lowcountry, Mayfield
Period: 1908, 1980s
352 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow