The Barrett family had owned three of the largest plantations in Georgia before the Civil War. Near the end of the war, they had to flee their homes. They settled in Massachusetts, eventually owning vast textile mills. Liz, the daughter of Kathleen and Isaac Barrett, was born in Massachusetts in eighteen eighty. Her father died when she was very young and her mother married his younger brother, Harley, when Liz was ten. She always knew of her mother's love for Georgia and they visited the homeland, to find only one dilapidated plantation house left standing. When she was sixteen, she lost her mother who was buried in the old family cemetery in Jenz Bridge, Georgia. Liz was left with a stepfather who turned to alcohol and after two years of indecision and grieving, she went to Georgia to begin restoration of the house. There she married and had a son. It was a perfect marriage until a secret was uncovered that nearly destroyed her marriage and her life. Through an accident, her life was restored. Now, Liz sits and happily looks upon her loved ones and remembers how close she came to loosing all this forever.

The Barrett family had owned three of the largest plantations in Georgia before the Civil War. Near the end of the war, they had to flee their homes. They settled in Massachusetts, eventually owning vast textile mills. Liz, the daughter of Kathleen and Isaac Barrett, was born in Massachusetts in eighteen eighty. Her father died when she was very young and her mother married his younger brother, Harley, when Liz was ten. She always knew of her mother's love for Georgia and they visited the homeland, to find only one dilapidated plantation house left standing. When she was sixteen, she lost her mother who was buried in the old family cemetery in Jenz Bridge, Georgia. Liz was left with a stepfather who turned to alcohol and after two years of indecision and grieving, she went to Georgia to begin restoration of the house. There she married and had a son. It was a perfect marriage until a secret was uncovered that nearly destroyed her marriage and her life. Through an accident, her life was restored. Now, Liz sits and happily looks upon her loved ones and remembers how close she came to loosing all this forever.

Terrell Michael O'Shannon worked at Suttons sawmill as a foreman and Colleen Bridgett Kelly was a governess for the Sutton children.

There they met and fell in love in a storybook romance and later a solid marriage.

Their aspirations to have a large farm and many sons to help them work it took an unexpected turn. They had three daughters, twins Lorna and Jenny, and six years later Sarah.

In time they ultimately accumulated many acres, but the extent of their farming ended up with a horse, a dog, some chickens and barn cats. Their lives were fulfilled and their joys were many through the years.

Lorna married a lawyer. They live in Glenwick, about fifty miles from home and have four children.

Jenny lives about a half mile from home and has one daughter.

Sarah built her house in the back acres of the old homestead, and has two children. Now the grandchildren arrive.

Read the next seven books in this series to learn about where their lives take them through the years.

Donna Fitzpatrick grew up in the small town of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. While working as a clerk at the Berkshire knitting mills, she married the junior partner of the company.