"Everybody has a story. You listen to that story, Honeygirl, and your story will come find you."

Her Grand Lady spoke these words when Abby was just a girl, spending the summer in rural Louisiana, surrounded by an extended, loving family. She's been listening carefully ever since.

Now Abby is raising her own family thousands of miles away. And even though Hawaii might seem like paradise to some, it's a long way away from those idyllic days she remembers, sitting with her grandmother, learning about the beauty and mystery of life. So Abby has just one wish: that her daughter Hannah might be touched by the beauty of her 92–year–old Grand Lady's stories, before it's too late.

But when Hannah finally does spend time with Grand Lady, the old woman crushes her tender spirit.

And a mother–daughter journey home becomes an adventure of discovery–about the importance of family and the healing found in forgiveness.

In Gardenias for Breakfast, mothers and daughters may recognize a branch or two from their own family trees and find themselves wishing not only for Grand Lady's guidance but also for Hannah's ability to smell the clouds.