“Sadly, our first foray into couples counseling was a bust,” writes Tess Clarkson about the early days of her marriage, when they hit the first big bumps. “I sat there and basically treated Steve like I was back in my old job as a Wall Street lawyer, reminding him of all the times he’d made promises about our living rules and standards and then failed to deliver in the ways I wanted. He lost his temper and yelled ‘You’re right!’ At that point we were dead in the water, with no clear path to move forward.”

So how’d they get unstuck and learn to work together on the problems both big and small? It’s simple, really. Let her explain.

Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor

Rose Perkins Bourdon has a big problem: She’s a newlywed, her husband is deployed, and she’s carrying another man’s baby. She also isn’t really sure how she got where she is in life — early love sent her life on a strange, unplanned path and now she’s not sure who she is or who she’s meant to be. It’s also 1962 Georgia, and the Civil Rights Movement is gaining momentum at a speed that’s causing incredible tension across the country, but especially in the South. And Rose’s home is no exception.

There is so much to love about this beautiful book, which centers on the late coming of age of Rose as well as her exceptionally loving and thoughtful family. I loved spending time at the family’s house and with each character as Rose confronts some of the most challenging aspects of becoming an adult: breaking and repairing trust, processing grief, and making her own big decisions. At the same time, her sister introduces her to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and she sees Martin Luther King, Jr., speak – two events that will change her world forever. Rose’s story and the history that’s happening around her are expertly woven together, and I got such a feel for what it must have felt like to live your life amidst the Civil Rights Movement.

Sarah Aswell, Senior Editor