The Old Place

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A bighearted debut centers on a retired schoolteacher whose long-held secret threatens to disrupt her small Texas town. In Billington, Texas, where change is rare, Mary Alice Roth faces her first summer of retirement, feeling lost without the routine of preparing for the school year. The upcoming annual picnic offers little comfort, as she has mentally assigned roles for the event weeks in advance. The highlight of her mornings is Ellie, her neighbor and friend, who brings solace after both women endured the tragic loss of their sons. Their shared experiences as single mothers—Mary Alice widowed and Ellie divorced—have forged a deep bond, and they are slowly rebuilding their friendship. However, everything shifts when Mary Alice's sister arrives with shocking news that threatens the fragile stability of her life. This revelation puts her relationship with Ellie at risk and challenges the very fabric of their small town. As Mary Alice grapples with the implications of this news, she must confront the possibility of change in her once-unshakeable world, forcing her to reevaluate her past and the future she thought she had secured.