Sensible Alice always thought she would become a farmer. Even though she took a safe job in a county planning department, she always knew she would inherit the family orchard. After a series of losses, however, Alice finds herself alone and bereft of the family farm.
In a chance encounter, Alice meets another troubled person, Jake. A gifted musician, Jake has been paralyzed by a freak accident. When Alice realizes Jake has an affinity for bee keeping, she offers him a job. Before long she realizes she needs another employee to do carpentry work.
Alice not only gives the two young men jobs, she also offers them a place to stay at her small farm. This goes completely against her character. Multiple times in the novel Alice refers to herself as “Alice island,” or “Alice All Alone.”
Opening her home and her heart to these two young men is a big risk that pays off. Jake is able to tell her facts about the bees she missed. The seoncd one, Harry, is a nervous ex-con, yet he proves his worth when she needs him.
When a conglomerate, SupraGrow, threatens the small community’s livelihood, Alice and her new friends work together to protect the bees and orchards.
This novel which is about taking chances and building connections is an uplifting read that entertains and informs.
Eileen Garvin’s latest novel is Crow Talk.
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