Gathering Pecans — Wimberley Watts

It is 1945 when the once-dynamic Henry Bagby returns to his Deep South roots after two years of fighting in a horrific war. From the outside, he appears to be a lucky man, but on the inside, he is broken. But as he settles back into life on his family's Alabama cotton farm, he has no idea he is about to meet a girl with a secret who will change everything.

At the urging of his mother, Henry returns to college, where he and Sarah Raynes quickly become acquainted. Sarah, who rebuffs Henry's advances at first, eventually falls for his charm and quick wit. After the two fall in love, Henry creates a pecan orchard for Sarah, but in the end, it is surprisingly reserved for another-his ethereal daughter, Elizabeth, who comes into the world with her own secrets and a divine purpose. Fearless yet graceful, Elizabeth takes the road less traveled, relying on the images and words of a mother she has never met and a determination to live a life filled with love-a choice that may cost her greatly.

Gathering Pecans is the endearing story of one family's heartwarming journey through the generations, from the cotton fields of Alabama to the hills of Afghanistan, as they come to the realization that there is only one true connection in life-God.