In 1875, Ben and Abby Whimble have been living apart for five years, with almost no communication between them.

As an instructor at the Peabody Normal College in Nashville, Abby has traveled all over the country with her mentor Graham Wharton, visiting schools and observing teaching methods, while Ben has, after years of sadness and a near-fatal illness, at last found a vocation that suits his varied talents. 

Neither of them believes the marriage is viable, until Abby decides to forgo her teaching position to build, and teach in, a one-room schoolhouse on the isolated barrier island town of Nags Head. Her and Graham’s unforeseen arrival brings confusion and even outrage to the entire village, especially Ben. 

 Can Ben and Abby find their way back to one another after so many years apart? Or is coming “home to the Outer Banks” just a fairy tale written in sand, easily washed away by the relentless sea?

This third novel in The Outer Banks House series explores the people and places that we yearn for, and the reasons why we choose to call them “home.”