Set in the 1940s, the story follows Tess DeMello, a young nurse whose life takes an unexpected turn after a fateful decision leads her to marry a mysterious and secretive man named Henry Kraft. As Tess navigates her new life in the small, tight-knit town of Hickory, North Carolina, she grapples with her own feelings of isolation and the town's suspicion towards her. Amidst the backdrop of World War II and a polio epidemic, Tess uncovers hidden truths about her husband and the community, ultimately finding strength and resilience as she seeks to reclaim her own identity and happiness.
Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and (London) Sunday Times best-selling author of 28 novels. The daughter of a school principal who supplied her with a new book almost daily, Diane quickly learned the emotional power of story. Although she wrote many small “books” as a child, she didn’t seriously turn to writing fiction until her early thirties when she was waiting for a delayed doctor’s appointment with nothing more than a pad, a pen, and an idea. She was instantly hooked.
