The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
Review by Carole (craftnut)
Willa Jackson is an organic sporting goods store owner in the small North Carolina town of Walls of Water. She is a descendent of the town’s founders, who were wealthy landowners and builders of the Blue Ridge Madam, a wonderful old mansion. The loss of the logging industry to national parks caused the financial ruin of Willa’s grandparents and the loss of the old home. Recently, the home was purchased by high school classmate Paxton Osgood and is being restored to its former glory for use as an inn. Willa can’t help but follow the progress.
When Paxton’s brother comes to town to finish the landscaping, he sets to work removing a peach tree that has no business on the property as peach trees cannot set fruit in the mountains. Desiring the property to be true to mountain ecology, he plans to replace the peach tree with a huge live oak transplanted from elsewhere. When the peach tree is dug up, more than the roots are exposed. A number of personal items are found beside a skeleton. It doesn’t take long to identify who it is, the question is why was he murdered, and who did it?
Willa and Paxton form an uneasy alliance as they dredge up the past between their two grandmothers and uncover an uncomfortable truth. But they also learn that ties of true friendship and love can transcend time.
The book is sprinkled with small strange occurrences, but it really is not a book of paranormal activity. It is foremost a story of people and their relationships, of friendship both long term and newly formed, of loyalty and support over a lifetime. The story is an easy read, and I recommend it.
Need to move it up on Mt. TBR!