The Language of Sycamores

When a woman’s whole life falls apart, she finds refuge in the home she left behind in this touching novel in the Tending Roses series from the New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours.

Karen Sommerfield has been hiding from the big questions of her life—the emotional distance in her marriage, her inability to have children, and her bout with cancer. Getting lost in her high-powered career provides the sense of purpose she yearns for. Until the day she’s downsized out of her job and the doctor tells her the cancer may be back. It’s a double blow that would send anyone reeling.

It sends Karen to Grandma Rose’s old farm, where her sister has made a seemingly perfect life. Opening herself to the unexpected, Karen finds a lonely child in need of nurturing and insights into her family’s past. In the quiet of the Missouri Ozarks, where the sycamore leaves whisper their soft, secret language, she begins to discover answers—and a joy to make her life complete.

Lisa Wingate is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty novels. She is known for combining elements of Southern storytelling, mystery, and history to create novels hailed by Publishers Weekly as “masterful.” Her novel Before We Were Yours remained on the New York Times bestsellers list for over five months and has been translated into thirty-five languages. While her work has received many awards, she most treasures the National Civics Award, presented by the kindness watchdog organization Americans for More Civility, to recognize public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. She believes that stories can change the world.