Truelove & Homegrown Tomatoes

A Novel

When her beloved husband of forty-eight years dies, Imogene "Imo" Lavender takes solace in her tomato garden and finds her own life beginning to blossom. Raising two young women—her rebellious sixteen-year-old daughter, Jeanette, and Lou, the thirteen-year-old niece she has taken in—demands most of her time, but a friend insists that a trip to the Kuntry Kut 'n' Kurl and a new man are what Imo really needs. At her prompting, Imo sets off on a hilarious dating spree with a series of unsuitable bachelors.

While Jeanette grows increasingly reckless, Lou joins her aunt in the garden, learning lessons about love and life. A shocking announcement from Jeanette and a sudden death then remind them all that life, like a garden, changes with the seasons—and that the healing of a heart comes with time, love, and patience, just as surely as a new crop of tomatoes rewards a devoted gardener.