Where the Wildflowers Grow
- Judith D Collins
- May 18
- 3 min read
ISBN: 978-1464229220
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: 02/17/2026
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: TBR
FEB 2026 MUST-READ BOOKS
From acclaimed author Terah Shelton Harris comes a poignant story of survival and redemption that questions what it means to stop existing and start living.
Leigh is the last of the Wildes. She knows this because she watched them all die.
Grief never truly fades and even as the tragedy haunts her, Leigh carries on, because survival is in her blood. So, when the transport bus taking her to prison careens off the road, killing everyone onboard except her, she does what's in her nature. She survives.
While searching for a place to hide, Leigh stumbles upon an unexpected sanctuary: a flower farm in rural Alabama tucked away from the world. What Leigh doesn't expect is the found family there who have built something from the wreckage of their own lives. Especially Jackson, the farm's owner, who sees through Leigh's defenses, offers her small moments of tenderness, encourages her to face her own tragedies. Slowly, Leigh finds peace with the hard pace and soft nature of the farm, taking comfort in the life blooming around her. Maybe she's not beyond redemption, not too broken for something good. And maybe, just maybe, Leigh starts to heal.
But the past isn't so easily buried.
No matter how far she runs, the truth of who she is and the ghosts of the Wildes follow. And when those secrets catch up to her, threatening everything she's come to love, Leigh will have to truly face what she can survive.
Praise
“In Long After We Are Gone, Terah Shelton Harris weaves a powerful narrative that begins with the haunting plea, ‘Don’t let the white man take the house.’ These words set in motion a gripping story as the Solomon siblings unite to protect their ancestral home, the Kingdom, and its 200 acres of land, coveted by a relentless development company. Told through alternating viewpoints, this explosive and emotionally charged novel delves into the power of family bonds and the art of letting go. It unearths the weight of familial expectations, the consequences of miscommunication, and the enduring lessons and legacies we pass on to the next generation. A gripping exploration of the complexities that define us and the resilience that connects us all.”
—Etaf Rum, New York Times bestselling author of A Woman is No Man and Evil Eye
“A big, beautiful, devastating, and ultimately hopeful novel about family dysfunction and the true cost of heir property. Terah Shelton Harris brings the four Solomon siblings to vibrant life as they struggle to save their family’s ancestral land while battling their own demons.”
—Erica Bauermeister, New York Times bestselling author of No Two Persons
“Terah Shelton Harris has written a viscerally human novel about what we lose and what we keep when tragedy forces us to confront the sins of the past. Long After We Are Gone dismantles the romanticized idea of southern homecomings and lays all its secrets bare through the eyes of four meticulously drawn characters wrestling with demons that threaten their quest to save their ancestral land. Gripping and haunting, this book is a stunning achievement from one of the bravest voices in contemporary Southern fiction today.”
—Regina Black, author of The Art of Scandal
“Once again, Terah Harris proves she is a powerhouse of Southern literature whose unmistakably poignant prose, profound themes and vibrant characters are built to stand the test of time. Long After We Are Gone is a beautifully-woven story of familial bonds, generational trauma and the nature of love. Richly evocative, this book will move your soul.”
—Quinn Connor, author of Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves
About the Author
Photo Credit: Sarah Willis
TERAH SHELTON HARRIS is an author and former librarian, who now writes upmarket fiction with bittersweet endings. She is the author of One Summer in Savannah and Long After We Are Gone. Her books have been chosen as a Target Book Club pick, LibraryReads pick, Kobo Best Book, Together We Read pick, Publisher’s Marketplace Buzz Book, and a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for Best Debut. Terah was also named Target’s first Author of the Year. Her third book, Where the Wildflowers Grow, will be published in February 2026.
