Promises Made

Some promises should never be made.

When Julie left Sweet Grove, Georgia, for the bright lights of Chicago, she vowed never to return. The small-town life-and the painful memories it held-were left behind for good. Or so she thought.

Now 61 and a powerful COO, Julie has built a life defined by ambition, precision, and control. Yet the unexpected call to care for her ailing, emotionally cruel mother during the isolating days of the pandemic forces her back to the hometown she fought so hard to...