The Rising Tide

The novel is set in a small American town and centers on the lives of the Blair family. At the heart of the story is Helena Richie a woman with a troubled past who has moved to the town seeking redemption and a fresh start. She becomes entangled in the lives of the Blairs particularly Maurice a young man struggling to find his place in the world. Maurice facing pressure from his family and society to conform to certain expectations finds himself drawn to Helena whose presence stirs up both admiration and scandal in the conservative town. The rising tide in the title refers to the growing tension between tradition and modernity as well as the internal struggles faced by the characters as they confront their own desires and the expectations placed upon them.