The China Garden

When her mother dies, Laura returns to her coastal hometown. At the reading of the will, Laura discovers that her mother had a child that she adopted out. She also bequeathed a painting to someone who is a stranger to Laura. These revelations completely shift Laura's understanding of her mother. Her life becomes entangled with the lives of Cress, an older and respected member of the community, Kieran, Cress' intellectually disabled grandson, and Abby, a teenaged girl who has become friends with Kieran. Their stories intersect and parallel each other as their individual secrets emerge and these very different people are forced to find trust and comfort in each other.