Belva Plain Book order

Few authors have understood the tender intricacies of relationships better than the incomparable Belva Plain. In Heartwood, her final novel, she comes full circle with the themes she took up in her very first work, Evergreen, bringing us an unforgettable story of family and friendship, love and marriage, the challenges of life and the true secret of happiness. Though Iris Stern considers herself a modern woman, with a successful career and a happy marriage, she still holds steadfast to her old-fashioned sensibilities. However, she often finds those sensibilities challenged by her children and the choices they have made. For Iris’s daughter, Laura, a fresh start in New York City may be the last chance to save her troubled marriage, but as Laura copes with an impending separation and its effect on Iris’s young granddaughter, Iris herself must come to grips with a long-held family secret. An emotional parting of another kind looms most prominently on Iris’s horizon—as neither her beloved husband nor her marriage is immune to the ravages of time. But like the inmost rings of a tree that abide through the generations, Iris will be as strong as heartwood.

The narrative centers on Cassie Wright, who unexpectedly becomes a guardian to a young girl named Gwen after a tragic accident. As Cassie raises Gwen in a privileged environment, their lives intersect with Jewel Fairbanks, a manipulative beauty whose actions will profoundly impact both women. The story unfolds as Gwen marries Stan, a dedicated worker, while Jewel weds businessman Jeff. A shocking workplace revelation leads to a web of greed, jealousy, and betrayal, forever altering the destinies of both couples in unforeseen ways.

Exploring the intricate bonds and devastating lies within a family, this novel spans four generations against the backdrop of significant twentieth-century American events. It delves into themes of love, loss, and sacrifice, highlighting how betrayal can alter familial ties forever. The narrative captures the resilience and struggles of a remarkable family as they navigate the complexities of their relationships through time.

Decades after her father kidnapped her from his ex-wife's home to save her from an unstable environment, a young woman struggles to come to terms with her father's criminal action and the deception that forms the foundation of her entire life.

New York Times bestselling author Belva Plain goes to the heart of what it means to be a woman, a wife, and a friend, in her powerful new novel—a story of love and betrayal that measures the limits of loyalty, friendship, and forgiveness. They met at school and have been inseparable ever since: Cecile, confident, elegant daughter of privilege; Norma, extraordinarily gifted and sadly troubled; and beautiful, ambitious Amanda, determined to rise above her humble southern beginnings. Two are married. One despairs of ever finding love. Three women. Leading their busy adult lives. Yet first and always: friends. Then something unexpected happens that forever alters their long, complicated friendship. A pivotal event, a shattering act of betrayal shifts the balance of power between husbands and wives, parents and children, sisters and brothers. And in the months that follow, each of them will look at their families, their lives--and one another--differently. And none of them will ever be the same.

Exploring the aftermath of a seemingly ideal marriage falling apart, this narrative delves into the emotional turmoil and unexpected challenges faced by the couple. It examines themes of identity, resilience, and the complexities of love, revealing how each character navigates their new reality. As they confront their past and re-evaluate their lives, the story highlights the journey of self-discovery and the possibility of new beginnings amidst heartbreak.

Robb Daniels, an idealistic schoolteacher, heads off to law school, leaving his hometown girl behind and embarking on a less-than-noble grab for power that will eventually destroy two families. Reprint.

In Legacy of Silence, New York Times bestselling author Belva Plain creates an unforgettable story of a remarkable family—and a deception that reaches across continents, oceans, and generations. Caroline Hartzinger flees wartime Europe with a shattered life and a devastating secret. Pregnant and unwed, she arrives in America in 1939. Joel Hirsch offers marriage and respectability, hoping one day to earn her love, if not the passion she feels for a man whose memory still haunts them both. With Joel, Caroline builds a new life, determined to bury the past—until her daughter Eve brings Caroline’s carefully crafted world crashing down again, driven by a rage to learn the truth. Now it is Eve’s secret, a legacy that taints her life and puts generations at risk. But with it comes a gift—a new sister, young enough to be her own daughter, who offers hope, then a truth that will finally break the hold of the past.

Three weeks after an elderly woman sends letters to her troubled relatives, two estranged and hostile brothers, a young couple on the verge of divorce, and a loving couple whose parents despise one another come together at the home of the family matriarch, in a story of familial conflict and reconciliation