Splendora, a steamy little East Texas town, is the setting for this rollicking tale of Timothy John Coldridge and Miss Jessie Gatewood, two people who couldn't be any closer. After being away for fifteen years, Timothy John returns to his hometown with Miss Jessie–who takes the town by storm. Splendora is completely captivated by the beautiful and eccentric librarian, a "true lady" and a vision of Victorian femininity. But Timothy John and Miss Jessie are hiding a secret, one that, if discovered, will rock Splendora to its very core. As he settles feuds and unites the townfolk, Timothy John is forced to come to terms with the town that spawned him–and himself–in the smashing conclusion to this breathtakingly original novel.