What makes a family?

For seventeen years, Hailey Cormier has known exactly who she is: Jack Cormier's perfect daughter. Driven by fear of her father leaving like her mother did when she was four, Hailey pushes herself to excel at everything she does.

At the age of twenty-nine, Sarah Kincaid is still haunted by her past. Dragged from town to town all her life by a mother whose idea of love was a backhand or turning a blind eye to her creepy boyfriends, Sarah has never felt worthy of anyone's love or kindness.

Until Sarah meets Jack. Within months, they are married.

But can Sarah—fragile and afraid to believe her life has finally turned around—and Hailey—an angry and distrustful teenager who sees her dad's new wife as an adversary—learn to accept each other and become the family that Jack so desperately needs?

The Trees Have Buds is a poignant and heart-rending journey of two women who struggle to shed their past, learn to trust, and define the true meaning of family.