Books like Summer in the South by Cathy Holton

Ava Dabrowski, a Chicago writer, quits her job to spend a summer in Woodburn, Tennessee, at the invitation of her old college friend Will Fraser and his two great-aunts, Josephine and Fanny Woodburn. The hosts offer her a peaceful retreat at their ancestral estate, Woodburn Hall, while she works on her first novel. Woodburn, however, is far from tranquil. Beneath its serene surface lie ancient feuds and modern rivalries, and Ava finds herself drawn to the attention of both Will and his black-sheep cousin Jake. The family’s rich history, including connections to literary figures such as Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Faulkner, and the estate’s treasures, intrigue her. She stumbles upon rumors of a darker side to the Woodburn legacy, prompting her to shift her focus from her novel to the eccentric and tragic clan. While researching the truth about the Woodburns, Ava confronts a mysterious Southern family whose secrets echo her own personal tragedy, forcing her to reckon with the legacy hidden within their walls.

First publish date: 2011