The Hideaway

Description

When her grandmother's will wrenches Sara back to her small hometown of Sweet Bay, Alabama, she must face family secrets and difficult choices. In the South, family is always more complicated than it seems. After her last remaining family member dies, Sara Jenkins goes home to The Hideaway, her grandmother Mags's ramshackle B&B in Sweet Bay. She intends to quickly tie up loose ends then return to her busy life and thriving antique shop in New Orleans. Instead, she learns Mags has willed The Hideaway to her and charged her with renovating it-no small task considering her grandmother's best friends, a motley crew of senior citizens, still live there. Rather than hurrying back to New Orleans, Sara stays in Sweet Bay and begins the biggest house-rehabbing project of her career. Amid drywall dust, old memories, and a charming contractor, she discovers that slipping back into life at The Hideaway is easier than she expected. Then she discovers a box Mags left in the attic with clues to a life Sara never imagined for her grandmother. With help from Mags's friends, Sara begins to piece together the mysterious life of bravery, passion, and choices that changed her grandmother's destiny in both marvelous and devastating ways. When an opportunistic land developer threatens to seize The Hideaway, Sara is forced to make a choice-stay in Sweet Bay and fight for the house and the people she's grown to love or leave again and return to her successful but solitary life in New Orleans Praise for The Hideaway: "A story both powerful and enchanting: a don't-miss novel in the greatest southern traditions of storytelling."-Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author "Two endearing heroines and their poignant storylines of love lost and found make this the perfect book for an afternoon on the back porch with a glass of sweet tea."-Karen White, New York Times bestselling author USA TODAY and Amazon Charts bestseller Full-length Southern Women's Fiction Includes Discussion Questions for Book Clubs

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Lauren K. Denton now lives with her husband and two daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. In addition to her fiction, she writes a monthly newspaper column about life, faith, and how funny (and hard) it is to be a parent. On any given day, she'd rather be at the beach with her family and a stack of books. Website: laurenkdenton.com Facebook: LaurenKDentonAuthor Twitter: @LaurenKDenton

'Denton's first novel charms readers with her idyllic settings and wonderful cast of characters, making Sweet Bay and the Hideaway places readers will dream about. The Hideaway is a deeply satisfying exploration of family, friendship, and the meaning of home.' * BookList * "This debut novel is the kind of book you want to curl up with on a rainy day or stick in your beach bag for your next vacation. It is poetic and compelling, emotional and full of life." * RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars and TOP PICK * "Inspiring in tone, with well-drawn, appealing characters, Denton's delicious debut is a treat for the senses and the heart. Her exquisitely lyrical writing and character-driven story is a must-read, especially for those who loved Beth Moore's The Undoing of St. Sylvanus." * Library Journal -- Starred Review, DEBUT OF THE MONTH * "In this fine debut, Denton crafts a beautiful, heartbreaking story of true love that never dies. . . This book will please inspirational, contemporary, and historical fans alike." * Publishers Weekly STARRED Review *