Leila Meacham Books

East Texas, 1916 In the great mansions of Houston Avenue, Howbutker, live the town's founding families: Toliver, Warwick and DuMont. Over generations they have settled their differences by exchanging roses: a red rose to ask for forgiveness and a white rose to accept. But when precocious teenager Mary Toliver inherits cotton plantation Somerset from her father Vernon, the first seeds of discontent are sown. And it is not the last time Mary will sell her soul for the sake of the family soil. When she declines the proposal of handsome timber magnate Percy Warwick, it is a shattering choice that will spell heartbreak for generations to come.

One hundred fifty years of Roses ' Tolivers, Warwicks, and DuMonts! We begin in the antebellum South on Plantation Alley in South Carolina, where Silas Toliver, deprived of his inheritance, joins up with his best friend Jeremy Warwick to plan a wagon train expedition to the "black waxy" promise of a new territory called Texas. Slavery, westward expansion, abolition, the Civil War, love, marriage, friendship, tragedy and triumph-all the ingredients (and much more) that made so many love Roses so much-are here in abundance.

Texas in the early 1900s, its inhabitants still traveling by horseback and barely familiar with the telephone, was on the cusp of an oil boom that, unbeknownst to its residents, would spark a period of dramatic changes and economic growth. In the midst of this transformative time in Southern history, two unforgettable characters emerge and find their fates irrevocably intertwined

Recently orphaned, eleven-year-old Cathy Benson feels she has been dropped into a cultural and intellectual wasteland when she is forced to move from her academically privileged life in California to the small town of Kersey in the Texas Panhandle where the sport of football reigns supreme. She is quickly taken under the unlikely wings of up-and-coming gridiron stars and classmates John Caldwell and Trey Don Hall, orphans like herself, with whom she forms a friendship and eventual love triangle that will determine the course of the rest of their lives. Taking the three friends through their growing up years until their high school graduations when several tragic events uproot and break them apart, the novel expands to follow their careers and futures until they reunite in Kersey at forty years of age. Told with all of Meacham's signature drama, unforgettable characters, and plot twists, readers will be turning the pages, desperate to learn how it all plays out.

Set in a small East Texas town during the 20th century, the narrative explores the intertwined lives of cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick, who missed their chance at love. Their decisions lead to a legacy of deceit and tragedy that impacts not only their own lives but also the futures of their descendants. The story delves into themes of regret and the consequences of choices made against the backdrop of the dominant timber and cotton industries.

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Roses comes a tender, classic love story about a first love that not even time can diminish, set in a small Oklahoma town where secrets - and betrayals - run deep.

A tender, classic love story about the secrets that linger in our hearts and the choices that set us free... Some people aren't meant for happily-ever-after. And Deborah Standridge is one of them. When she called off her wedding to the perfect man to pursue her passion as an architect, she didn't mean to hurt anyone. But Deborah saw her chance to finally make her own dreams come and she took it, setting in motion a tragedy that has haunted her ever since. Now, as one of Denver's most successful architects, Deborah has avoided love at all costs...until Daniel Parker walks into her life. He commissions her to design his company's headquarters and soon makes her want to believe in love again. But Dan is keeping a shocking secret that could rip apart everything they've built--and break Deborah's heart once and for all. Will Deborah find the strength to put the past behind her to fight for a love that could last for all time?

In this posthumous novel, a suburban housewife's life takes a dark turn when she realizes a private detective and a murderer are tracking her. As she navigates this dangerous situation, the story unfolds with suspense and intrigue, exploring themes of vulnerability and survival. The beloved author's signature style brings depth to the characters and their circumstances, making for a gripping read that keeps the audience on edge.

Der wahre Nachfolger von »Vom Winde verweht«. South Carolina 1835: Im prächtigen Herrenhaus der Baumwollplantage Queenscrown lebt die verwitwete Elizabeth Toliver mit ihren Söhnen Morris und Silas. Da der ältere Morris Alleinerbe von Queenscrown ist, will Silas ins entfernte Texas auswandern und dort eine eigene Plantage gründen. Doch ihm fehlen die finanziellen Mittel für einen Treck in das verheißungsvolle Land. Da kommt ihm ein Angebot der reichen Nachbarsfamilie Wyndham gerade recht, deren Tochter Jessie in Ungnade gefallen ist: Heiratet Silas Jessie Wyndham, obwohl er seiner großen Liebe Lettie Sedgewick die Ehe versprochen hat, zahlen ihm die Wyndhams die Auswanderung. Silas ist hin und her gerissen, letztendlich aber siegt der unstillbare Wunsch, eine eigene Plantage zu besitzen. Seine Mutter Elizabeth ist verzweifelt und fürchtet, dass ihr Sohn durch seine egoistische Entscheidung einen Fluch auf sich gezogen hat. Doch Silas bricht zusammen mit Jessie in die neue Heimat auf ...