Only One Life: A Novel

A reunion between an estranged mother and daughter opens a world of secrets in a poignant novel by the bestselling author of Magnolia Nights.

Julia Martin grew up wealthy, but it wasnt until she met her husband, Jack, that she knew true happiness. He made her feel worthy and loved. Their marriage was also an escape from her sisters bullying, her fathers scrutiny, and her chilly and enigmatic mother. But when tragedy strikes on the night she gives birth, Julias happiness is shattered. She has no choice but to return home to her familys South Carolina mansion, where the grief and guilt buried in her mothers past await her.

As a young woman trapped in a bitter marriage, Julias mother, Iris, once needed her own means of escape. In Lily, she found a best friend. In the flower shop they opened, she discovered independence. Then came a transgressionunforgivable, unforgettable, and unresolvedthat changed Iriss life forever.

Now, in Iriss most desperate hour, her only hope is to regain the trust of the daughter she lovesand to share the secrets of the heart that could rebuild a familys broken bonds.