May 2008
Karen Vaughn Book Club
"Sweet Magnolia" by Norma L. Jarrett

Synopsis
From the author of fiction favorite Sunday Brunch comes an inspirational novel about two bitterly divided sisters struggling to forgive each other and renew their faith in God.

Everything is not always sweet on Magnolia Lane, where the Ledoux clan had always gathered under the watchful eye of the family matriarch, Hannah. Years later, Hannah's granddaughter Summer, a soon-to-be bride, has planned a weekend event that prompts a major family reunion. But once relatives come together to celebrate Summer's wedding, generational secrets that have spanned decades slowly come to the surface.

Blowing in belatedly and stoking long-standing resentments is Summer's older sister, Misa, an international model. Unbeknownst to them, the sisters share something besides a feud: they have inherited the depression that had darkened the life of their mother, Elizabeth. While Summer relies on God to keep her from the abyss, Misa submerges herself in drinks and men. But neither can avoid what happens when, after a particularly vitriolic argument, one of the sisters flees in anger into the darkness of a rain-swept night.

The aftermath leads the sisters to uncover the truth about their family and themselves, testing their spiritual reserves. And along the way, God's spirit continues to send them messages about the beauty of faith and love.

Spiritual, dramatic, and a memorable tribute to our beloved New Orleans, Jarrett's second novel is a confident step forward in an already bright career.