From the acclaimed author of The Longest Ride and The Notebook comes an emotional, powerful novel about wondering if we can change—or even make our peace with—the path we’ve taken.
Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, following in his grandfather’s military footsteps to become an Army Ranger. His whole life has been spent abroad, and he is the proverbial rolling stone… happiest when off on his next adventure, zero desire to settle down. But when his grandmother passes away, her last words to him are: find where you belong. She also drops a bombshell, telling him the name of the father he never knew—and where he might be found.
Tanner is due at his next posting soon, but his curiosity is piqued, and he sets out for Asheboro, North Carolina, to ask around. He’s been in town less than 24 hours when he meets Kaitlyn Cooper, a doctor and single mom. They both feel an immediate connection; Tanner knows Kaitlyn has a story to tell, and he wants to hear it. For Kaitlyn, Tanner is mysterious, exciting—and possibly leaving in just a few weeks.
Meanwhile, nearby, 83-year-old Jasper lives alone in a cabin bordering a national forest. With only his old dog Arlo for company, he lives quietly, haunted by a tragic accident that took place decades before. When he hears rumors that a white deer has been spotted in the forest—a creature of legend that inspired his father and grandfather—he becomes obsessed with protecting the deer from poachers.
As these characters’ fates orbit closer together, none of them is expecting a miracle…but that may be exactly what is about to alter their futures forever.
From the acclaimed author of The Longest Ride and The Notebook comes an emotional, powerful novel about wondering if we can change—or even make our peace with—the path we’ve taken.
Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, following in his grandfather’s military footsteps to become an Army Ranger. His whole life has been spent abroad, and he is the proverbial rolling stone… happiest when off on his next adventure, zero desire to settle down. But when his grandmother passes away, her last words to him are: find where you belong. She also drops a bombshell, telling him the name of the father he never knew—and where he might be found.
Tanner is due at his next posting soon, but his curiosity is piqued, and he sets out for Asheboro, North Carolina, to ask around. He’s been in town less than 24 hours when he meets Kaitlyn Cooper, a doctor and single mom. They both feel an immediate connection; Tanner knows Kaitlyn has a story to tell, and he wants to hear it. For Kaitlyn, Tanner is mysterious, exciting—and possibly leaving in just a few weeks.
Meanwhile, nearby, 83-year-old Jasper lives alone in a cabin bordering a national forest. With only his old dog Arlo for company, he lives quietly, haunted by a tragic accident that took place decades before. When he hears rumors that a white deer has been spotted in the forest—a creature of legend that inspired his father and grandfather—he becomes obsessed with protecting the deer from poachers.
As these characters’ fates orbit closer together, none of them is expecting a miracle…but that may be exactly what is about to alter their futures forever.
Inspiration
“Counting Miracles was perhaps one of my favorite novels to write. Many years ago, I had an idea: an old man is alone in the woods with his dog, in a life-threatening situation. The circumstances that led him to that place hadn’t fully formed in my mind yet, so I held on to this image, waiting until I was able to build on it and give it shape. Waiting to turn it into a story worth reading. It was years before I was able to do so.
Then came the pandemic, and like so many others, I watched as the world collectively grieved life as we knew it. That is how the old man became Jasper. I knew I wanted to feature a character who finds purpose and guidance through religion, even after surviving a tragedy that would make anyone question how a benevolent God could allow such suffering. The intention was not to write a religious book, but instead, write a religious character that serves as a vehicle to re-examine this existential question. Grief and loss remain universal truths. Love is not without loss, and to grieve means you had something worth grieving. I often come back to this inevitable push and pull in my writing. While readers may not necessarily align themselves with Jasper’s faith, hopefully they will resonate with him as a human being.
Tanner is another character through which I explore the different ways people cope. My cousin Todd, an army veteran who deployed to Afghanistan shortly after the events of 9/11, lost many of the men he served with to suicide. How does a person make sense of that loss without isolating themselves? Both Jasper and Tanner grapple with the remains of a life they no longer recognize. They must decide how to move forward, and if they even want to. I needed someone to anchor these two men and offer an alternative to the solitude they’ve chosen. I thought many of my readers, particularly women, could relate to a character who feels like they have to do it all. Between work and kids, there is often little time left for themselves. Enter Kaitlyn. As a writer, but more so as a human, I was eager to dive into this story and bring these characters together (and apart) in new and exciting ways. After all, if you aren’t holding your breath every now and then, I haven’t done my job.”
Setting
Asheboro, NC
Located in the heart of North Carolina, Asheboro is home to rich economic, natural and cultural resources. Known as the center point of North Carolina, the city is located in the gently rolling Piedmont plateau region and near the fifty-thousand acre Uwharrie National Forest.
