Dorothea Benton Frank s magical stories take us deep into the heart of her beloved Carolina Lowcountry. In her novels, this lush landscape comes alive in all its vibrancy and color. She ignites all of our senses with her vivid descriptions of landscape and atmosphere. In her novels you hear the ocean washing the shore on different islands so profoundly that you can nearly hear the sea gulls squawking, too. This is a story of people whose lives are changing a southern gentleman returning home to lead a more peaceful life and his talented New York wife who is not quite sure she is ready to make the transition. They are moving north to south, fast pace versus slow pace, downsizing. And while they are doing this, they are getting glimpses into other people s lives over the course of a summer, holidays that will amuse, shock and transform them. This irresistible story is home to captivating characters as funny, complicated, and real as our best friends husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, friends and family who wrestle with the complexities, pain, and joys familiar to us all. Finally, we ll come to recognize the face of love, the kind that deepens and endures but only because one woman makes a tremendous leap of faith. That leap changes them all.

    The sun beams down on the rolling green Yorkshire hills, and the scent of freshly cut grass is in the air.Local vet Mandy Hope and her boyfriend Jimmy Marsh are happily setting up their new home, and life at animal rescue centre Hope Meadows is as busy as ever. When the Welford Garden Committee announces a Midsummer Fair, Mandy is thrilled to be invited to judge the animal-themed fancy dress competition.The whole of Welford turns out for the fair, and the fancy dress competition is a roaring success. Three-year-old Herbie and eighteen-month-old Kiran come as Bo Beep and her lost sheep and Mandy can't help but melt. Maybe having children of her own isn't such a ridiculous idea after all? But in the euphoric mayhem of the day, little Kiran goes missing and a frantic search ensures.When the lost lamb is rumoured to have been seen on nearby Honeysuckle Lane, it's all hands on deck to solve the mystery and restore him to his rightful home.

    And in this particular year of their lives, three of them will come closer to redirecting their lives -- and one will die.