From rural Mississippi in the Jim Crow era through the transformative 1970s, this sweeping novel tells the tale of a mother's sacrifice, relentless ambition, and against-all-odds success. But the one dream she can't stop chasing may cost her everything . . . Money is security. Always. Margo Dupree has lived by that rule since childhood, when her father's death plunged her and her mother into poverty. Marriage brought only disillusionment and struggle. But it also gave Margo the determination to migrate north in search of a better life for herself and her young daughter, Lana. The north, however, isn't the panacea she expected, and Margo finds herself contending with the all-too-familiar obstacles of racism and prejudice, not to mention the new stresses of urban living. But things change once she realizes that what was once her greatest shame is now her greatest asset—the skills she learned from her mother's job as a cook. Using her tasty recipes,...

Buried secrets, environmental disaster, and a legacy of corruption hit too close to home when a California native and her family make a fresh start in small-town Texas—and find trouble just beneath the promising surface in this powerful novel for readers of Terry McMillan, Tracy Brown, ReShonda Tate, and Elsie Bryant. As director of an award-winning investigative news radio show, Billie Jordan is used to helping others fight trouble. But she faces her own when the radio station is sold and she's unable to find another job. Their savings dwindle as she and her husband struggle to help their son overcome an opioid addiction. When her husband gets a professorship at an HBCU in his hometown, they relocate to get a fresh start. Billie slowly adjusts to a cubicle workspace, sweltering heat, and accepting "y'all" as a word. All is well until severe storms cause massive destruction and contaminate the town's water supply—making it unsafe to drink....

An insightful and dramatic novel of women's friendship, feuds, and fame as a 1990s pop music group, reminiscent of Destiny's Child, reunites for a second shot at mega-success and must deal with both the new demands of today's social media and the same old traps of yesterday. Perfect for fans of Terry McMillan and Sheila Williams. Angel. Carmen. Doreen. Jade. Talented Memphis girls who had a brush with pop music fame—guided by Carmen's warm-hearted mother. But when she was elbowed out for a bigger manager, Carmen walked too. The bitter breakup shattered the Diamonds' never-easy "sisterhood" —and cost them the big-time. Now a reunion offers a fresh start, just as mid-life struggles are pushing all four to the brink. Angel hopes to reignite her failing solo career, but her insatiable ego keeps getting in the way. . . . Carmen was the group's peacemaker, but with her son in serious trouble, she's run out of patience. . . . Doreen longs to...

HOME IS THE PLACE WHERE WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO THERE THEY HAVE TO LET YOU IN.Eden, Arkansas is a town you are from, not move to. But when divorce, foreclosure, domestic violence, and an all-expense paid trip (also called prison) disrupt the Washington siblings' perfectly planned lives, they end up back down home. Instead of serenity, sibling rivalries, divided loyalties and money squabbles resurface. Even the good news, that there may be natural gas on their father's land, causes conflict. When their father, C.W. Washington, one of the largest landowners in the county, announces his engagement, barely six months after his wife's death, his daughters fear Viagra is clouding his judgement (his sons say – go for it).Homemade preserves and family dinners are welcome by-products of the move down home. Unfortunately, family members aren't always singing in the same key. But just a few notes can switch a gloomy blues tune to the soundtrack for a good time. What song will the Washingtons...