Crossroads (Large Print)

No one explores the complex bonds of family like Belva Plain, whose more than twenty New York Times bestsellers have touched the hearts of readers and garnered legions of devoted fans. Now Plain dazzles us once again with a new novel of rare eloquence and raw emotion. Filled with all the author’s trademarks–wisdom, compassion, and brilliant storytelling–Red Leaves tells the story of three generations of women…and the gifts of healing and forgiveness that can mend the heart of a family.…

It happened as car accidents often do, violently and without warning. In a flash of steel and glass, lives are lost, dreams shattered, and families forever changed. That’s how it happens for Jean Wright, a pillar of her New England community, when a loved one is swept away in one sudden fateful moment. In the days that follow, as neighbors stop by with plates of food and words of comfort, Jean knows one thing for certain: her carefully ordered world will never be the same. For there is the surviving child to think about now–and Jean must put aside her grief to take in one-year-old Guin, who has no one else to raise her.

But as Guin grows up into a shy, dreamy girl, their life together is fraught with conflict. When Guin defies the only mother she’s ever known by striking out on her own–writing children’s books and marrying a man far below her social standing–their relationship seems irreparably damaged. It is only when Guin has a child of her own, a little girl who is so very like Jean in personality, that events come full circle…and she finds that the qualities that drive you apart can also draw you together.

A novel of mothers and daughters, of mixed blessings and second chances, Red Leaves brilliantly explores the fragility of life–and the power of love to heal and transform. It is a work of depth and grace from one of the world’s most beloved storytellers.

No one explores the rich tapestry of the human heart as Belva Plain does. Her more than twenty New York Times bestsellers have captivated readers and garnered legions of devoted fans. Now Plain dazzles us once again with a new novel of rare eloquence and raw emotion…a powerful tale about the consequences of greed—and the acts of love and forgiveness that can heal the heart.

Cassie Wright never saw it coming. As owner of Wright Glassworks, the foremost company in a thriving New England town, Cassies life was quiet, focused on her work and home…until a tragic accident turns her carefully ordered world upside down. For there is a surviving child to think about—and Cassie must take in one-year-old Gwen, who has no one else to care for her. As the years pass, Cassie will raise Gwen as her own, and a little girl who lost everything will flourish in a world of privilege and opportunity.

Enter Jewel Fairbanks. Beautiful and conniving, Jewel will touch the lives of both Cassie and Gwen in powerful ways. From the moment they meet, Jewel envies Gwen, who seems to have everything Jewel wants. The two couldnt be more different, but their lives will soon become inextricably intertwined. Both will marry—but to profoundly different men. For Gwen, it is honest, hardworking Stan who steals her heart; Jewel will set her sights on Jeff, a shrewd businessman who owns the company where Stan works.

But when Stan makes a shocking discovery on the job, relationships begin to shift and change...and soon a tangled drama of greed, jealousy, and betrayal will encircle both couples, as a chain reaction of unexpected events changes four lives forever—in ways they never could have foreseen….

From the Hardcover edition.

Belva Plain lives in northern New Jersey. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Evergreen, Random Winds, Eden Burning, Crescent City, The Golden Cup, Tapestry, Blessings, Harvest, Treasures, Whispers, Daybreak, The Carousel, Promises, Secrecy, Homecoming, Legacy of Silence, Fortunes Hand, After the Fire, Looking Back, Her Fathers House, and The Sight of the Stars.

From the Hardcover edition.