The Peach Keeper
Apr 23, 2011
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Publisher: Bantam Books Hardcover
Publication Date: March, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-553-80722-6
This story centers around two couples who... aren't couples. Couples who don't know they're couples yet, even if it's obvious to everyone around them. 4 people searching for the life they want, but are afraid to reach out and grab it. What they also want to grab is each other, but there's so many secrets swirling around all of them from their youth that they have all closed themselves off from just letting go and "be-ing".
But those secrets need to be let go of when a much bigger mystery arises - from the grave you might say. The old mansion on the hill is being brought back to life as a bed and breakfast by the owners. It's been abandoned for years and the constant stories of ghostly inhabitants have scared more than a few people off from renovating it before now.
The two families (coincidentally both part of the non-couples) come together as previous owners of the mansion when a body is found under a tree that's been pulled down. They need to discover not only who the body is, but how he ended up there and who might have had something to do with it.
The mystery, and a little bit of magic that stays in the background but is most definitely present, carries this story along quite nicely as you root for these four people to realize that everything they want is right in front of them.
A lovely story. The characters are well written. I easily grew fond of them and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
