With her spouse imprisoned for financial crimes on Wall Street, Faith is forced to abandon her opulent lifestyle in New York and return to her roots in North Carolina, where her widowed father and responsible older sister reside. Together, they must confront the unresolved emotions stemming from the unexpected passing of Faith’s mother years earlier and learn to reconnect as a family. Much like the story of the Prodigal Son, “Heart of the Country” explores a father’s unwavering love. His sole desire is to rebuild his relationship with his children, and once that bond is mended, he begins to heal his troubled daughter. Faith must reconstruct her marriage, regain her self-confidence, and find peace with her mother’s death, all under the gentle, selfless guidance of her devoted father. The novel, penned by Rene Gutteridge and based on the original screenplay by filmmaker John Ward, transports us from the glitz of Manhattan to the serene landscapes of rural Columbus County, North Carolina, as it breathes new life into the timeless narrative of the Prodigal Son.