In 1916 East Texas, young Mary Toliver inherits Somerset, the family cotton plantation, when her father dies --- to the dismay of her mother and brother, Miles, even though everyone knows it is Mary who loves the land. Mother is so furious that she takes a crowbar to their rose garden, which is a significant statement. In the Toliver family, a red rose is given as an apology; a white rose in return is an acceptance of that apology. In her action, Mary’s mother is declaring that she will never forgive this turn of events. Brother Miles, also very angry, determines that Mary should go away to boarding school for a year. Since Miles holds the power of attorney over Somerset, and Mary cannot take control until she is 21, she is temporarily powerless.

As a reluctant student at a posh boarding school, Mary yearns constantly for Somerset. Her roommate is Lucy, well-known for her adoration of Miles’s friend, Percy. When Mary is at last released from boarding school to return home, Percy declares his love to Mary. While Mary feels an answering passion toward the handsome young man, she knows their romance must end. They are both aware that if they were to marry, Percy’s family’s lumber company would plant Somerset with trees to harvest. In addition, Percy wants a wife who will be present for him and for future children, not a wife who will put a commitment to a plantation over family. So when Percy insists they will marry, she adamantly declares they will never wed.

All the while, World War I --- or, at that time, the Great War --- is raging. Miles, Percy, and their good-natured friend, Ollie, enlist. When they head off to fight for their country, Mary realizes that Ollie is also in love with her. He knows he has no chance of her returning his adoration, though, and promises to take care of Percy for Mary. Ollie fulfills his promise on the battlefield --- with dire results.

While the men are at war, Mary works 18-hour days on Somerset alongside her overseer. The plantation under Miles had not only slid into terrible disrepair but was also deeply in debt. It is difficult physically, mentally and emotionally to undo the damage. Her many sacrifices make Mary even more determined than ever to keep Somerset at all costs. And when the young men return from the war, she knows that even though she loves him, she must inform Percy that their marriage continues to be impossible.

But Mary’s love life is the least of her problems as she struggles to keep from losing her plantation to the predatory Bank of Boston. Driven by her love of the land, Mary’s life is shaped over the years as she struggles with thwarted love, a possible curse, heartbreak…and an unusual gift to her great-niece, Rachel, whose devotion to Somerset mirrors Mary’s own.

Although readers know much about Mary’s life --- who she marries and how successful she is with Somerset --- from the outset, we certainly don’t know the how and why. These uncertainties make for an absorbing read as the mysteries --- related across time through the point of view of the main characters --- are unraveled throughout the book. Author Leila Meacham tells a fine story, which steps right along at a lively pace, making ROSES, even at a hefty 600-plus pages, a surprisingly speedy read. Although the drama sometimes seems a bit over the top and the plot lags a bit at the end when various people are told one set of facts, this is indeed a very enjoyable page-turner.