HURRICANE SEASON
A Southern Novel of Two Sisters and the Storms They Must Weather
From the author of the USA TODAY bestseller The Hideaway comes a new story about families and mending the past.
Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have long since buried their desire for children of their own. While Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget her dream of motherhood. But when her free-spirited sister, Jenna, drops off her two young daughters for “just two weeks,” Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.
From the author of the USA TODAY bestseller The Hideaway comes a new story about families and mending the past.
Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have long since buried their desire for children of their own. While Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget her dream of motherhood. But when her free-spirited sister, Jenna, drops off her two young daughters for “just two weeks,” Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.
As the two weeks stretch deeper into the Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world—and revel in the laughter that now fills their home. Meanwhile, record temperatures promise to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.
Attending an art retreat four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She finally has time and energy to focus on her photography, a lifelong ambition. But she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home as a single mom.
When Hurricane Ingrid aims a steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that will change her family’s future, even as Betsy and Ty try to protect their beloved farm and their hearts. Hurricane Season is the story of one family’s unconventional journey to healing—and the relationships that must be mended along the way.
- Thomas Nelson
- Paperback
- April 2018
- 352 Pages
- 9780718084257
Buy the Book
$15.99
About Lauren K. Denton
Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Lauren K. Denton now lives with her husband and two daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. In addition to her fiction, she writes a monthly newspaper column about life and how funny (and hard) it is to be a parent. On any given day, she’d rather be at the beach with her family and a stack of books.
Praise
BookPage’s “Most Anticipated Fiction of 2018”
Southern Living’s 2018 “Best Spring Break Reads”
“Denton has created a heartwarming, character-driven story that will appeal to fans of Southern fiction.”—Publishers Weekly
“Refined language and dialogue along with beautifully descriptive scenes will draw readers right into Denton’s latest novel. Well-developed, genuine characters and a well-crafted plot that embodies the tenuous ties between family are the highlights of this story… A truly remarkable read.”—RT Book Reviews, 4 stars
“A story both powerful and enchanting: a don’t-miss novel in the greatest southern traditions of storytelling.”—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author
Discussion Questions
1. At the start of the book, Jenna loved her children but she also longed for a way to pursue her creative impulses. Did you understand her feeling of not knowing how to balance motherhood obligations with the need/desire to pursue her art and live a creative life? Or was it frustrating to see her making choices you wouldn’t make?
2. Betsy longed to have children, but when it looked like pregnancy wouldn’t happen for her, she closed the door on that dream. Do you have any experience with having to mentally move on from something you desired that wasn’t totally in your control to achieve?
3. Is there one character you connect with more than the others? Maybe because of his or her actions, inaction, hesitations, or desires?
4. If a woman takes time off from work or family obligations to pursue something she enjoys, do you think our society’s reaction to that mother’s choice is different from a man wanting the same thing? Would a man receive comments like “You’re a parent—you really should be home with your children”? Would it be easier for a man to pursue his passions and hobbies because he doesn’t have mom guilt? Or do you think parents across the board battle guilt and pressure when trying to balance family obligations with personal desires?