They were supposed to stay home cooking and cleaning while wearing pearls. They got it half right; they did wear pearls...

Molly: All alone she protected her land and children from treasure seekers, holding them off only with her courage and a shotgun.

Mary: She came with her husband as he drove the first train into Miami in 1896 when the Magic City was nothing more than a collection of wooden shacks and mud streets.

Helen: A flapper, she knew what she wanted and went out and found it.

Agnes: Miami wasn't the adventure she expected, but she found both love and heartbreak in her new home.

The Rogers women were like the hibiscus that thrives in tropical heat and comes in vibrant shades of orange, yellow, red, and hot pink. They were sassy, strong, self-reliant, and with an extra dose of the Florida quirkiness that comes from knowing every time you take your garbage out-whether it is real or metaphorical-you just might encounter an alligator in your backyard.

If you are a fan of Patrick D. Smith's A Land Remembered, or enjoyed Steel Magnolias or Fried Green Tomatoes, you'll love the women of Hibiscus Strong.