g, young Ben Palsson's discovery on Washington Island brings new controversy among the locals. Stoic, hard-working Nancy has a boyfriend, the Men's Book Club is reading Paradise Lost, the chip on Stella's shoulder is as sharp as ever, and newly-separated Emily Martin has plans guaranteed to annoy pretty much everyone except Roger.

Meanwhile, the Reverend Henry Wilford (retired) has been recruited to shepherd the Island's tiny flock of Episcopalians, bringing with him an unconventional mix of theology and an obsession with squirrels. Even among the usual bickering, gossip, and intrigue, however, when bad news reaches the island, the shocked community forgets its animosities and rallies to offer support. Book five of the North of the Tension Line series is a gently comic, literary novel of small town relationships offering a soothing escape in troubled times.