Summary

Readers and critics alike fell in love with Stephanie Gertler's Jimmy's Girl and The Puzzle Bark Tree. Now, fearlessly delving into the hidden depths of the heart, she has crafted a wise and moving novel about the bonds of mothers and daughters and the relationships we cherish.

Although raised by a loving father, Claire is still haunted by the absence of her mother, who abandoned her as a baby. Now a mother herself, she has made a life for herself in the coastal town of Drifting, Connecticut, and runs a Victorian inn with her husband, Eli. With her children grown, her maternal instincts are reawakened when Nicholas Pierce and his blind seven-year-old daughter, Kayla, come to stay at the inn. As the young child's affinity for Claire begins to resonate within her, Claire finds herself drawn into a struggle to save Kayla when the dark truth emerges about Nicholas. Ultimately, the challenge to save Kayla unleashes Claire's desire to find her missing mother. It is only then that Claire embarks on a courageous journey to understand her past.

Fearlessly plumbing the hidden depths of the heart, Stephanie Gertler has crafted a wise and moving novel that tests the bonds of mothers and daughters and their ability to transcend any obstacle.