title: The Magnolias of Atherton Hall
author: Rowe, Gary
description: As a young girl, Sarah Eldridge was fascinated by the magnolias that bloomed in Charles Town, South Carolina when she and her parents visited her aunt and uncle's plantation during early summers. Sarah became enchanted with the large white luscious blossoms and their lemony scent. At age nineteen, as a young lady in colonial Virginia, the handsome and eligible Benjamin Thompson of Atherton County was in the final stages of completing his stately Georgian mansion. Talk of the young magnolia trees he planted on the property of his new home, Atherton Hall, spread throughout the surrounding counties. Sarah's fascination with the fragrant and beautiful flower led her and her parents on a momentous visit to Atherton Hall. This notable event sets in motion a story of love during the turbulent years leading to the American Revolution. While Sarah and Benjamin are drawn together by their mutual fondness for the purity of nature and its never-ending beauty, they soon discover a sinister plot that could ultimately threaten both their families. As they unravel the suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of both Benjamin's father and grandfather, they unwittingly place themselves in impending danger that could undoubtedly destroy their newfound hope of everlasting happiness.