Actually, there are a lot of things he’s never done. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV or spoken on the phone. He doesn’t always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He’s found a peaceful existence on the Shipley’s farm, picking apples and fixing machinery. It’s been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much. When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps at the chance to spend fall in Vermont.

But her recent overseas adventure was one too many. Her life was a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. When she shoves Zach away, he will have to prove to himself that he’s good for more than farm labor.There's a first time for everything. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. He’d never spoken on the phone.Īctually, there are still a lot of things he’s never done. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched television. And he doesn’t always know what to make of a world where apps and movie quotes are the primary means of communication. He’s good with animals, and he’s good with his hands. In Vermont, he’s found a peaceful place in the bunkhouse at the Shipley’s farm.

It’s been three years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult out west, the only home he’d ever known. Zachariah, twenty-three, is a survivor of a different kind. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret from those who know her best, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of Orange County, Vermont, to calm her down when her dreams prove too much. Unfortunately, the night terrors don’t stop. When her best friend offers her a stay at the Shipley orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps into her little car and heads to Vermont. She’s too consumed by guilt to talk about it.

Everyone has an opinion about what might have happened to her there, but she’s not saying much. But while overseas for her nonprofit employer, she was kidnapped and held at gunpoint in a dusty shack. Lark Wainright, twenty-three, has nightmares.

Keepsake by Sarina Bowen