Raised by her grandparents in the Flint Hills of Kansas, Sarah Bryden puts aside her dreams of higher learning and world travel when her grandfather suffers a devastating accident. She leaves college and returns to the tiny town of Bazaar, waiting tables at a local cafe and passionately nourishing in secret her creative spirit. Sarah is a loner, but there is a magic about her, apparent to all who meet her.
Also returning to small-town life are John and Susan Wilde. John has taken a leave of absence from Berkeley to settle in the heart of the Flint Hills with his wife and their newly adopted son, hoping that the quiet and wide open spaces will ease them into their new roles as parents and fortify their frail little boy.
When Sarah encounters the child, however, there is an instant connection, a feeling of old souls meeting, and John can’t help but notice how naturally she takes to the boy — in stark contrast to his wife, who has grappled with motherhood from the very start. Sarah awakens John and she in turn is captivated by him — his energy, his will, his brilliance. Around the structure of the classic romantic triangle, the conflict unfolds. And amid a series of disasters, both natural and man-made, John, Sarah, and Susan learn to honor the forces of the universe that compel lives together — and just as forcefully tear them apart.
“Women readers especially will enjoy this poignant, beautifully written story.” – Library Journal
“This love story is charged with emotion and filled with poetic detail. Graham is adept at capturing the nuances of small-town living.” – Booklist