At the heart of the story is Marie, freshly home from college, who's torn between who she's becoming and who everyone still expects her to be. Across town is Jaqueline, her childhood best friend - confident, magnetic, and carrying her own secrets. Their bond, tested by distance and time, becomes the thread that connects every woman in their orbit: mothers who sacrificed, daughters who dreamed, and friends who stayed when leaving might've been easier. When choices made in love begin to unravel family legacies, each woman must decide what she's willing to lose in order to live honestly. From the porches and beauty shops to the polished chaos of adulthood, Southern Girls captures what happens when faith, desire, and identity collide. Blending lyrical storytelling with emotional realism, this novel explores motherhood, ambition, and the ties that hold women together even when the world expects them to break apart. It's a story about the women who raise us, the friends who remind us who we are, and the courage it takes to return home - not just to a place, but to yourself. With its richly drawn characters and cinematic Southern atmosphere, Southern Girls will resonate with readers who love Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Women of Brewster Place, and An American Marriage.