Carolina girls - Dorothea Benton Frank

Lisa St Clair knows a thing or two about weathering storms. A dedicated nurse with a great sense of humour, she single-handedly raised her daughter Marianne after her ex walked out twenty-four years ago, sending only a lottery ticket once a year as support. Then he reappeared and persuaded their daughter to support his business venture. Now mother and daughter aren't speaking.

So when Kathy Harper, Lisa's favourite patient, loses her battle with cancer, Lisa finds herself drawn to Carrie and Suzanne, the devoted friends who were always by Kathy's side. They talk about family, and share problems but somehow their conversations always return to the enigma of Kathy. Did they really know her at all?

Gradually, as they uncover the truth about Kathy's life and unfurl plans to secure their own futures, fate steps in to show them that being single doesn't mean you are alone and that friendship is as powerful as the turning tide of the beach they walk together.