Writer Terah Shelton Harris is back with another release that’s already getting rave reviews. I recently spoke with her about Where the Wildflowers Grow.
Tell me about your latest book.
Where the Wildflowers Grow is a contemporary fiction novel that tells the story of an escaped convicted felon who addresses and unpacks her childhood trauma on a flower farm in rural Alabama. Leigh is a survivor. So, when the prison transport bus she’s on careens off the road, killing everyone on board except for her, she survives. At the bottom of the ravine, she makes the decision not to wait for the police or prison officials to find her and just walks away. Leigh ends up on a flower farm on Gee’s Bend run by the hulky owner, Jackson. She thinks it’s a safe place to hide out. But she doesn’t expect the found family she finds. There, Leigh, undergoes a profound journey of self-discovery and healing, supported by the love and kindness of Jackson and the surrounding community.
How long did it take you to write it?
From start to finish, the process took about five months. It’s probably the longest I’ve ever needed to write a book. Leigh was very elusive, andit took longer than expected to understand her past, her motivations, and her goals.
Which character could you relate to the most and why?
My main character, Leigh, was raised in survival mode. Everything taught to her was geared toward being strong, how to endure suffering, suppressing her emotions, and how to keep going when things got hard. She was never taught how to be still or how to feel. I wanted to explore that and how she breaks out of it and what that looks like on the other side. She spent so long in survival mode that she forgot what it meant to truly care for her mind and body. Settling in on the Flower Farm, she didn’t have to worry about the basics. There was food, shelter, and space. Space to breathe. Space to feel. There, she began to listen to herself, her body, and parts of her she had ignored. Through meditation, she uncovered something deep about herself that she had never considered. That realization cracked something open in her that opened the door to her healing. Yoga, too, was a way back into her body, a reminder that her body mattered. As Leigh says, “Living is a run-on sentence—never-ending, a collection of experiences that strengthen you along the way.” It’s in those experiences on the Flower Farm that Leigh understands what that really means. She learns to be vulnerable and to experience connection. For the first time in her life, she feels safe enough to dream, to trust, and rest. Not just to survive, but to live.
How are you celebrating the book’s release?
I’m hitting the road! I have a pretty amazing tour lined up, and I cannot wait! It’s a wide-ranging tour, so I’m hoping to connect with as many readers as possible.
Who is your author best friend (either in your head or in real life)?
I have three! Regina Black, author of THE ART OF SCANDAL and AUGUST LANE; Meagan Church, author of THE MAD WIFE, and Jason Powell, author of NO MAN’S GHOST. I speak, text, email them at least once a day.
What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve received?
Great writers read books. They study and analyze them. Writers should always be working to improve their craft.
What books have you read lately and loved?
I loved Regina [Black]’s AUGUST LANE, Nikki Payne’s THE PRINCESS AND THE PI, and S.A. Cosby’s KING OF ASHES.
What books are you excited to read?
I can’t wait to read Sadeqa Johnson’s latest, KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN, Nikesha Elise Williams’ THE SEVEN DAUGHTERS OF DUPREE, and Riss Neilson’s THE BRIDGE BACK TO YOU.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on revisions for next book and brainstorming my next book.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
My hope is that readers who carry similar wounds will see themselves in Leigh’s journey and feel less alone. Trauma doesn’t resolve neatly, and I wanted to honor that truth. Leigh’s survivor’s guilt, her complicated grief, her struggle to distinguish between surviving and living—these are real experiences that deserve space on the page. I also wanted to show multiple pathways to healing: yoga with Tibb, grounding exercises with Jackson, the simple act of chopping wood or digging in soil. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all, and it doesn’t happen on anyone else’s timeline. If readers take away anything, I hope it’s this: You are more than what you have survived. Your worth isn’t defined by your trauma or the battles you’ve fought. And it’s never too late to stop merely existing and start actually living. That transformation is always possible, even when it feels impossible.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris.
To learn more about writer Terah Shelton Harris, visit her on Instagram (Instagram.com/terahsharris) or online at terahsharris.com.