Marissa Cole discovers a family she never knew she had and befriends her cousins Allison and Samantha Hartwell. With scenes stretching from Upstate New York to the coast of Maine to Boston's gritty neighborhoods and California's wine country in The Talking Tree, Sweet Talk, Straight Talk and Baby Talk, these three, strong women encounter and overcome challenges and find love and fulfillment along the way. The books have received critical acclaim for their sensitive treatment of the issues each woman faces and how she resolves her problems to create a better world for her family.