The Gardens of Covington - A Novel

Widowed Amelia always portrayed her marriage to Thomas Declose as complete perfection. They lived in Paris and entertained widely for a glittering crowd; only the tragic loss of their little girl marred what appeared an ideal existence. So when Miriam Smith arrives with her daughter Sadie on Amelia's doorstep in a snowstorm, claiming to be the illegitimate child of the long-dead Thomas, Amelia reacts with shock and fury. Could Thomas possibly have had a secret life he hid from her -- a life that would have made their marriage vows a lie?

Rebuffing the wise counsel of her housemates, Grace and Hannah, Amelia dismisses the possibility of a family of her own and buries herself in the pain of betrayal and humiliation. Little Sadie is the spitting image of Amelia's own lost daughter, though, and she cannot help taking mother and child into her heart. But danger stalks Miriam, and it looks as if Amelia might lose this family, too. When Mother's Day arrives, will she be left with empty arms...or with her deepest longings fulfilled?

This beautiful tale of mothers and daughters is an enchanting addition to Joan Medlicott's USA Today bestselling Covington books.

If you're meeting the Ladies of Covington for the first time, prepare to fall in love with Hannah, Grace, and Amelia -- three warm, strong, and wonderful sixty-something women who are so real, they'll soon become dear friends. If you've visited Covington before, you know how much you're going to enjoy catching up on their lives, as the ladies face new challenges with generous hearts, a hearty dose of practicality, and good cheer.

Hannah, Grace, and Amelia are devastated when a fire destroys their beloved old farmhouse on Cove Road. As they begin the long, difficult process of rebuilding, they find an unexpected silver lining as the crisis creates deeper bonds with the locals in their adopted North Carolina mountain town.

Of course life doesn't stop just because there's an emergency, and new developments arise from the situation. After Grace's dear companion Bob has a heart attack, she moves into his hillside condo to take care of him -- and then must decide whether to rejoin the other ladies when their new farmhouse is finished.

Without the buffer of Grace's ease, Hannah and Amelia find their very different person-alities clashing. To ease the strain, Hannah temporarily moves in with George Maxwell, their across-the-street neighbor, with whom she works side-by-side in creating Bella's Park. And when Max surprises Hannah by offering her a marriage of convenience, where she can continue living with the other ladies but also inherit Bella's Park to safeguard it, she has a very difficult decision to make.

The new pastor at the Cove Road Church in Covington discovers that a former pastor from forty years ago was never ordained as a minister, and was therefore not qualified to marry anyone -- which means that five longstanding marriages are invalid! With their marriages thrown into crisis, it's decided that the couples absolutely must remarry on Christmas Eve. But with the church desperately in need of repairs and lacking the funds to fix the rotting floorboards and the outdated heating system, how can they ever get it ready in time?

Sounds like a job for the ladies of Covington! Grace, Hannah, and Amelia step in to organize the weddings, while their friends and neighbors volunteer paint, lumber, and good old-fashioned elbow grease to fix up the church. But when last-minute obstacles threaten to stop the weddings, they're going to need a miracle to turn Christmas Eve into a wedding day that no one will ever forget.

Troubles have laid a dark cloud over the usually cheery farmhouse of the three ladies. Grace is grieving over the loss of someone dear to her, and then a mysterious diary from the past turns Hannah's life upside down, destroying her peace of mind. To raise everybody's spirits, Amelia suggests they take an exotic Caribbean cruise.

Though they return with many wonderful stories to share, living in such close quarters has increased the brewing conflict between Amelia and Hannah. When Amelia leaves for a photography workshop in Maine, she's unsure if she'll want to continue living in their farmhouse afterward -- or if Hannah will still be there, since Max is pressing her to set a wedding date.

Grace learns more than she wants to about modern dangers as her young protégé, Lucy, becomes involved with an internet predator, and the ladies and their friends all rally to the rescue. When Grace lands in the hospital shortly afterward, though, she realizes she can no longer hide behind the dramas of everyday life, but must face her diabetes head on.

Yet new joy enters their lives when Hannah's daughter has a baby boy, increasing their extended family. And when Hannah finally lays her past to rest, she's able to set a wedding date with Max, giving them all cause to rejoice.

Interwoven with the continued stories of Grace, Amelia, and others who have joined their circle, this beautiful and touching tale is a moving addition to the Covington series, sure to be cherished by readers new and old.

Right when she desperately needs the counsel of her two closest friends, Grace is wrapped up with her partner, Bob, and Amelia is away in New York, being tempted by the glamorous life. Will Hannah find the courage to pursue a real marriage? And what will happen to her relationships with Grace and Amelia if she does?

A rusty old tin box holding nineteenth-century letters and diaries is unearthed at the Covington Homestead, and the contents reveal a thrilling drama to longtime housemates Grace, Amelia, and Hannah. Two Civil War soldiers—one Union and one Confederate—were found dying on a battlefield by an old woman and nursed back to health. After the war, they chose to stay in Covington, caring for their rescuer as she grew frail . . . but they never contacted the families they had left behind.

When Claire Bennett's husband died, she felt directionless. Their thriving antiques business and beautiful house in the Hamptons, the social scene and her volunteer work -- all seemed empty without Phillip. Estranged from her adult daughter and son, Claire knows that in the depths of her heart she still mourns a terrible loss from a tragic accident years ago.

Fleeing her memories, Claire moves to a condo in Florida, then impulsively leaves to visit her engaged daughter in North Carolina. From the sandy beaches of Boca Raton to a tiny farm tucked high in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Claire gains self-awareness through the unexpected kindness of strangers, and finally forces herself to confront some hard truths from the past.

Finding a joy in life that has been missing for many years, Claire at last reaches out to her son and daughter. And when the healing of old wounds leads her to a new love, Claire realizes that her travels have brought her to a place where she will never again walk alone.