The Orange Blossom Special - Betsy Carter

Recently widowed, Tess and her teenage daughter, Dinah, move to a small town in Florida, following in the tracks of the Orange Blossom Special, the first passenger train to connect New York to Miami. At first, Tess struggles to make ends meet, and Dinah's depression shows no signs of abating. However, both women are certain that the late Jerry is still very much present, and through their interpretation of 'signs' only they can see, Tess is guided to a new job, and Dinah makes some unlikely yet sustaining friendships. But, as the forces of a changing world fling them into a larger universe, the residents of this insular town find the innocence of the 1950s giving way to the turbulence of the 1960s. Tess, Dinah and their new neighbours are all tested - and transformed - by changes in their midst. Strangers become friends, friends become lovers, and the relationships formed during these tumultuous times surprise everyone involved.