To Have and to Hold

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sisterhood series delivers a compelling story of one woman who harnesses tragedy and grows courageously—strong, independent, and free to love.

It is 1970 and Kate Starr is the perfect wife, the perfect mother, and the perfect housekeeper. But soon after her husband Patrick departs for a tour of duty in Vietnam, he is listed as MIA. Suddenly, Kate must raise their two daughters by herself, learn how to earn a living, and struggle with the U.S. government to get news of her husband.

Ultimately, the government's callousness turns Kate into an activist, determined to be heard. It is the beginning of a new Kate Starr. Twenty years later, she has educated herself and her daughters, started a successful business . . . and finally found love again, the fulfilling love of a passionate man. . . .

Beloved author Fern Michaels has won the hearts of readers worldwide with her sweeping novels of women coping with challenges of love. In To Have and To Hold, she traces the awakening of a remarkable woman who learns that sometimes in order to keep love in our hearts, we have to let it go.Fern Michaels was the New York Times bestselling author of the Texas quartet of sizzling contemporary novels Texas Rich, Texas Heat, Texas Fury, and Texas Sunrise, as well as the steamy books in the Captive series: Captive Embraces, Captive Innocence, Captive Passions, Captive Splendors, and Captive Secrets. She also wrote For All Their Lives, Serendipity, Seasons of Her Life, Desperate Measures, and To Have and to Hold. She passed away in 2025.#1 New York Times bestselling author