The Purple Thistles
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A bittersweet inheritance draws three women back to their Texas hometown in a heart-lifting novel about found family, friendship, and second chances by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.
Kate, Elizabeth, and Gloria come from three vastly different backgrounds and were never friends in high school. But what they have in common counts: Ula, a beloved nanny to all of them, has left a shared inheritance that reunites them in Applewood, Texas, at a time when each woman feels alone.
Kate was part of Applewood's elite until bad decisions and a disappointing marriage left her disowned by her wealthy parents. Elizabeth fled her austere family for a new life in Kentucky, only to return under the shadow of a devastating secret. And Gloria, who grew up in poverty with an alcoholic mother, is struggling now with her own demons and divorce.
As they navigate painful pasts, heartbreak, unexpected romance, and the warm bonds of community, Kate, Elizabeth, and Gloria discover how much they need each other. And back in Applewood they can bloom again. Just as Ula hoped.
(c) 2026 by Carolyn Brown, all rights reserved.
Carolyn Brown
Carolyn Brown is an award-winning New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author with more than one 140 published books to her name and over 10 million copies sold. With a career spanning more than two decades and her books translated into 19 foreign languages, she's known for writing heartwarming women's fiction, contemporary cowboy, and country music romances. She's a recipient of the Bookseller's Best Award, the prestigious Montlake Diamond Award, a three-time recipient of the National Reader's Choice Award, and a RITA Award finalist. Born in Texas and raised in Oklahoma, she lives in the small town of Davis, Oklahoma, where everyone knows everyone else, including what they are doing and when-and they read the local newspaper on Wednesdays to see who got caught. She has three grown children and enough grandchildren and great-grandchildren to keep her young. For more information, visit CarolynBrownBooks.com.
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