things we surrender: a lowcountry novel  family has to take you in, no matter how many mistakes you’ve made. <br> <br>at least that’s what joanna rutledge reed thought. at eighteen, she left her family’s ancestral home in charleston, south carolina, despite promising to stay. for years, she did whatever she wanted, barely giving her family back home a second thought. but a string of bad decisions results in heartbreak, forcing her to return, her life in tatters. <br> <br>while her wayward sister traveled the world, marcy remained in charleston, caring for her aging grandmother and managing the family business. she's got problems of her own that no one seems to notice or care about. when joanna arrives unexpectedly, marcy bristles at the intrusion, suspicious of her sister’s motives. <br> <br>as joanna picks up the threads of her old life, she discovers things are not what they appear to be. painful memories and hidden secrets resurface, leading joanna to question everything she thought she knew about her family. when her life begins to crash around her again, she needs her sister more than ever. <br> <br>set against the rich tapestry of charleston, south carolina, three generations of strong southern women share a history and not-quite-forgotten secrets. will the bonds they forged years ago be strong enough to give them a second chance at being a family? <br>