The ladies of Covington once again face life's trials and tribulations with help from their family, friends and community in this charming novel for women of all ages. In Covington, life seems settled into blissful domesticity. Happily married now, Hannah and Max together nurture the parkland they saved from developers. But their peaceful life is shattered when Max's estranged son, Zachary, returns from India with his pregnant wife, Sarina. Soon there will be a new baby in Covington, and Hannah and Sarina bond while shopping in preparation for the blessed event. But Hannah worries about the rift that still exists between Zachary and his father. Can it possibly be repaired? Despite her instant affection for Sarina—and for baby Sarah when she arrives—Hannah worries that Zachary's return may cause more heartache than joy. Has their quiet peace fled forever? 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. Medlicott’s ladies of Covington return. Amelia, Grace, and Hannah are a little more settled than when we saw them last. Despite Hannah being married and Grace’s Bob living next door, they still live together, occasional prickliness and all. While they cope with getting older, their extended friends and family continue to rely on them for help and encouragement. Hannah’s husband, Max, is especially in need. His estranged son, Zachary, shows up on his doorstep with his very pregnant Indian wife. They were living in India when riots broke out, and her family insisted they seek safety in America. But Zachary has a wanderlust that won’t be denied. Grace gets involved with a young soldier returned from Iraq who has post-traumatic stress syndrome, and Amelia frets that Miriam and Sadie, her newly formed family, will leave once Miriam’s new beau arrives. Medlicott’s true-to-life characters and situations reverberate with authenticity and leave readers feeling as though they’ve been with friends. --Maria Hatton Joan Medlicott was born and raised on St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. She lives with her husband in the mountains of North Carolina. She is the author of the Ladies of Covington series as well as several standalone novels. Visit her website at JoanMedlicott.com. 1 The Homecoming Amelia Declose settled into her rocking chair on the front porch of the farmhouse she shared with Hannah Parrish and Grace Singleton. Gathering her shawl about her, she knotted the ends across her chest. It was early morning. A glorious sunrise wove its magic across the mountains, slashing the sky with flaming orange. The celery green of new leaves on shrubs and trees and the chirp of a baby bird in a nest artfully camouflaged in a shrub near the porch filled her heart with pure joy. There are days when one feels glad to be alive, and today is one of those days. Amelia's mind drifted back years ago to when she, Hannah, and Grace had met in a dreary boardinghouse in Pennsylvania where the owner, the dour Olive Pruitt, restricted the use of the kitchen and refused to allow a wonderful cook like Grace to bake a cake or make a pot of soup. They had taken a risk, trusted one another, pooled their emotional and financial resources, and moved to a run-down farmhouse in rural North Carolina that Amelia had unexpectedly inherited, and in so doing had revitalized their lives. Here, Amelia had discovered a talent for photography. Hannah's skills and love for gardening had resurfaced, and Grace's kindness and wisdom found their outlet in volunteer work with children and in creating a community of friends and family. Amelia's finger traced the rim of the delicate china teacup. The human spirit takes comfort and solace from quite ordinary things: cows milling about in a pasture, a comfortable chair like this, the tinkle of wind chimes. A cup of tea with her friends on this porch and Sunday dinners with their ever-increasing surrogate family were now among the happy routines in her life. Even winter, her least favorite season, had become more bearable, with its hot cocoa topped with tiny marshmallows, long hot baths, and snuggling beneath her down comforter. And best of all, Miriam and Sadie were a part of her life -- her unexpected family. Her attention was drawn to a taxi that entered Cove Road, slowed, turned into Max's driveway across the street, and pulled up to his farmhouse. The short, heavy woman and bearded man who disembarked and plodded up onto the front porch reminded Amelia of Russian immigrants in a movie she had seen recently on late-night television. Several large suitcases were deposited on Max's front porch, then the taxi rolled away. The man helped the woman to a porch chair, then walked briskly to the front door. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar. She watched as the man carried the luggage into Max and Hannah's house, then assi