When Mel arrived in Virgin River all the way back in Virgin River season 1, it was clear that she had experienced significant tragedy and trauma throughout her life. Since the show premiered, those tragedies that took place before the show began have been confirmed to include the death of her husband, the stillbirth of her first child, and the death of her mother. Virgin River has since provided quite a bit more insight into these sad events, and Virgin River season 6 in particular revealed more about Mel’s mother, Sarah.

However, the cause of Sarah’s death remains unknown even now in Virgin River. Sarah’s story is also one of the major changes to the Virgin River books, so there’s little indication of what could have caused her death in the show. In the books, Mel’s parents are not central figures, which is little surprise considering that the book series also doesn’t center on Jack and Mel in the same way Virgin River does; they have a main story arc, but that is only in one book. The books, unlike the show, switch main characters from book to book.

What Happened Between Mel’s Mother & Father

Mel Didn’t Know The Identity Of Her Biological Father Until Recently