Tangled roots

the long version

There isn't much that Addy Grayson hasn't faced - the wrath of General Sherman in the Civil War, the murder of her lover, the life of a widowed Southern woman. She'd stood strong against fear and tradition in order to raise her daughter alone. Somehow she managed to keep her land, her family, and her secrets. Now she is an old woman raising her granddaughters in a world full of new challenges, unsure if she has the energy to endure. And what of her granddaughter Anna's challenges, and her best friend, Nessie's? They dared to dream of working and saving their own money, of going off to college, of careers and making a difference. And they dared to love each other. In 1916 Georgia, though, some dreams are not allowed. Anna is bright and pretty and has all the requirements needed to marry well. Society expects it. Her father demands it. And, Nessie, whose family worked as slaves for Anna's family before Emancipation, is expected to do whatever is necessary to keep their land safe and to protect the life her family has worked so hard for.