On the eve of the Civil War, Sara Collier marries the dashing Dru Talbot, just before he rides off to join the Confederate army. But fate cuts short their chance for happiness when Dru dies tragically on the battlefield. As a widow, Sara rises above her grief, refusing to mourn her life away. But one wrong choice made with an open heart takes her away from her hometown-and challenges Sara in ways she never could have imagined. Though she returns to Magnolia Creek an outcast, the sorrow in her life makes her stronger.A year after the war's end, battle-scarred surgeon Dru Talbot surprises everyone when he returns home, clinging to the dream of starting life over with his bride. Yet nothing could have prepared Dru for the truth that awaits him in Magnolia Creek.