Iolanda Rabascall Book order (chronological)

Ninety-one-year-old Ira Levinson finds himself stranded and injured after a car crash, struggling to stay conscious. As he drifts in and out of awareness, a familiar figure appears: his late wife, Ruth, who died nine years earlier. She encourages him to hold on by sharing stories from their life together, including their meeting, the art they cherished, and the impact of WWII on their families. Though he knows Ruth isn't truly there, Ira clings to her memories, revisiting both the joys and sorrows of their marriage. Meanwhile, at a bull-riding event, college senior Sophia Danko is navigating life after a breakup when she meets Luke, a cowboy who contrasts sharply with her privileged peers. Through Luke, Sophia is drawn into a world where survival and success are intertwined with life and death. As their romance blossoms, she begins to envision a future that diverges from her original plans—one that Luke could transform, provided his hidden secret doesn’t unravel it first. The lives of Ira and Ruth, along with Sophia and Luke, intersect in unexpected ways, illustrating that even the toughest choices can lead to extraordinary journeys, transcending despair and death to explore the depths of the human heart.

"When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her-- a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards-- and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven"--Author's web site.