Leaving Carolina
by Tamara Leigh

List Price: $13.99
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781601421661
Publisher: Multnomah Books

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.

Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

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1. Growing up in Pickwick, Piper was treated like an outsider by her extended family. Have you ever felt like an outsider in your family? Have you treated other family members as outsiders?

2. To justify her attitude toward and speedy exodus from Pickwick, Piper perseverates on Luke 9:5: “If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.” However, Jesus was referring to those who refuse to receive His message. Have you ever misinterpreted or molded Scripture to fit your circumstances?

3. As Piper’s life improved and her successful career demanded more of her time, her relationship with God slipped. In contrast, asMaggie’s “charmed” life gave way to struggle, she drew nearer to God. How can you guard against being a “foul weather” follower?

4. Although Axel’s faith is relatively new, it positively impacts Uncle Obe, a much older believer.What things can we learn from those whose faith has less mileage than our own?

5. Piper attempts to go beyond forgiving her relatives to making peace with them. Are there members of your family with whom you need to make peace? Are you willing to make the first move?

6. Despite her peacemaking efforts, Piper must set boundaries with the “toxic” members of her family. Do you have relatives you consider “toxic”?What boundaries do you need to set? Is it possible to set boundaries that allow for full reconciliation in the future?

7. As a young man, Uncle Obe sacrificed love for monetary gain, and the consequences were far-reaching and heartbreaking. When have you taken the wrong path?What were the consequences?

8. In the end, Piper and her uncle are set free when they act on Proverbs 28:13: “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Are mistakes in your past holding you captive? What would it take to apply this Scripture to your life?

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