Laurel Holden has lived an isolated life of her own choosing. An accomplished food and travel writer, Laurel never stayed long in one place, and she liked it that way. Her career has taken her to some of the finest bistros, cafes, and resorts in the world; but now she is about to immerse herself in a region and culture more foreign to her than any she’s known…the Deep South.

With the proliferation of bloggers and A.I., Laurel’s career is a dying breed, forcing her to retreat to the small town of Scroggins, Alabama. In the modest house she inherited from a grandmother she never knew, Laurel is about to undergo an awakening.

What begins as a temporary respite while considering her options, Laurel will begrudgingly forge connections to a community who has more to teach her than she could have possibly imagined. The people living in Scroggins have never let anyone remain a stranger, and they have no intention of starting now.

As rumors swell Laurel is writing a cookbook on Southern food, everyone in town seems to have a recipe…and a story behind it. Laurel discovers that the stories behind the dishes are the most fascinating of all. In the South, food isn’t just nourishment—it’s a bridge between people and their rich histories. And she just may find out a few secrets regarding her own family, which she has felt rejected by all her life.

In this charming, character-driven tale of rediscovery, the cosmopolitan traveler is in for a culture shock as she discovers the meaning of community and the sentiment of found family. Laurel Holden was only supposed to be there for the summer, pausing at her fork in the road only long enough to choose which path to take. But maybe the fork was her destination all along.

Sometimes, the road to finding yourself takes you right back to where you started.