Her desperate decision during World War II changed everything. Now, 70 years later, her secret is unraveling.
At ninety years old, Audrey Thorpe still lives in a historic mansion on palm-tree-lined Victory Drive, determined to retain her independence. But when her health begins to fade, her family hires a part-time caretaker, Laurel. The two women seem to bond—until Audrey disappears. Unbeknownst to Laurel, Audrey has harbored a secret for 70 years, since her time as a nurse in the South Pacific during World War II. As the story moves between the verdant jungles of the war-torn Philippines and the glitter of modern-day Savannah, friendships new and old are tested. Along the way, Audrey grapples with one of life’s heart-wrenching truths: You can only outrun your secrets for so long.
"A taut and lyrical literary thriller that I found difficult to put down...Heather Bell Adams is a truly gifted novelist." --Silas House, author of Southernmost
"A plot-perfect page turner … Adams has hit the sweet spot, mastering a literary tone with commercial pacing. If you’re looking for the next screen-worthy winner and a book club bullseye, this is your story." --Julie Cantrell, bestselling author of Perennials
"A riveting and intimate novel about singular friendships, courage, sacrifice, and the remarkable lives of the Greatest Generation." --Foreword Reviews
"A profoundly affecting story … with a storyline at once poignant and stirring, characters drawn with such intensity and plausibility that they seem like folks we know, and a prose style so effortless that it belies its quiet, seamless power … Do not miss this novel, a fountain of tenderness and wisdom." --The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
"Gentle, nostalgic, and told with great heart … A charming, sumptuous read." --Susan Bernhard, author of Winter Loon
"Telling a story from the heart is Heather Bell Adams’ specialty … Will grab the reader from the first page." --Kimberly Brock, author of The River Witch
Heather Bell Adams's first novel, Maranatha Road (West Virginia University Press 2017), won the gold medal for the Southeast region in the Independent Publisher Book Awards and was named to Deep South Magazine's Fall/Winter Reading List. Her short fiction, which has won the James Still Fiction Prize and Carrie McCray Memorial Literary Award, appears in The Thomas Wolfe Review, Pembroke Magazine, Broad River Review, The Petigru Review, Pisgah Review, and elsewhere. A native of Hendersonville, North Carolina, she currently is an attorney living in Raleigh.
