The Sweet Tea Odyssey

A powerful story of healing, resilience, and the traditions that bring Southern families together by the USA Today bestselling author of Lightning in a Mason Jar. With her waterfront home on the market, marriage over, and teen daughter, Elsie, threatening emancipation, Rosalynn Yates finds her nerves well frayed, and that’s even before a Category Three hurricane approaches the Carolinas. Fortunately, Rosalynn’s mother, Lillian, arrives to help with the evacuation, going into full Mama Bear mode—whether Rosalynn likes it or not. The three women load a few belongings and Rosalynn’s mobility service dog, Dusty, into her van and start the slow journey to Lillian’s home in Virginia, where further heartache awaits them. As they hash out old betrayals and new crises, Lillian recalls another important road trip, when decades earlier the family joined the historic Capitol Crawl to fight for the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As secrets surface and accommodations become more difficult to find, the women are tested at every turn. But they know that finding hope and reconciliation takes care and patience—just like making the perfect pitcher of sweet tea. © 2026 by Catherine Mann, all rights reserved.