<p><b>Few authors have understood the tender intricacies of relationships better than the incomparable Belva Plain. In <i>Heartwood,</i> her final novel, she comes full circle with the themes she took up in her very first work, <i>Evergreen,</i> bringing us an unforgettable story of family and friendship, love and marriage, the challenges of life and the true secret of happiness.</b><br> <br>Though Iris Stern considers herself a modern woman, with a successful career and a happy marriage, she still holds steadfast to her old-fashioned sensibilities. However, she often finds those sensibilities challenged by her children and the choices they have made. For Iris's daughter, Laura, a fresh start in New York City may be the last chance to save her troubled marriage, but as Laura copes with an impending separation and its effect on Iris's young granddaughter, Iris herself must come to grips with a long-held family secret. An emotional parting of another kind looms most prominently on Iris's horizon—as neither her beloved husband nor her marriage is immune to the ravages of time. But like the inmost rings of a tree that abide through the generations, Iris will be as strong as heartwood.</p>