Things are changing for Cat Hood, a small-town carpenter living in the mountains. Her first book has been published, her agent's making big plans, and the whole town thinks she's a celebrity. She's also got a long-lost brother who turns up out of nowhere with a wife who's pregnant with twins, a '59 Harley Duo Glide that makes a funny noise, a busted-up hand that puts her out of commission, and a German Shepherd named Mike who won't get off the couch. Enter Melissa McHeaney - doctor, painter, green-eyed Irish lass. The one. And when the pair finally connect, it clicks so loud everybody close to Cat hears it. But Cat is dragging her feet, driving her friends - and herself - crazy. Is she scared off by a good thing? Or does the problem run deeper than that? There's a ghost in Cat's head and heart and a story waiting to be told - the story of her grandmother Kate, who raised Cat and her brother after the death of their parents. The Hoods had emigrated from Scotland in the late 30s, leaving home under mysterious circumstances that Cat was certain were the cause of Kate's cold, harsh brand of mothering that sent her brother Will running for his freedom - and Cat running from herself. Cat Rising is the richly drawn tale of one woman's quest to build a future through the discoveries of her past. Cynn Chadwick paints a vibrant portrait of community - friends and family together for the long haul, no matter how bumpy the ride.