Derby Day is a story of death and life and the fragile path to happiness by Diane Murphy, a young woman of passion and resolve who vows never to feel the pain of loss again. Mourning the recent passing of her father and living with the memory of a husband who died when they had all of life before them, she is determined to resist any chance for happiness lest it be taken away once more. Then one Christmas, a note from a special aunt invites her to a family reunion in their beloved Kentucky for the running of the Derby. Can she go back? Should she go back? As the months unfold and Diane struggles with the past and the future, those who care for her and the man who loves her try to point the way. But in the end, only she can measure her steps in walking the fine line between triumph and tragedy.