Iris is a pastoral hamlet in Prince Edward Island, full of people doing their best to live good lives. These folks help each other out—raising barns, raising children, and raising money whenever anyone's in need. People have found home there: Jon, a professor who took a sabbatical in Iris to heal from his terrible childhood, is now a full-fledged community member, a husband and farmer. Jimmy, formerly a violent alcoholic, has found peace in the church and turned his life around completely. Idyllic Iris really is a place of miracles for so many, a place that feels like it's from another time.
But it's not another time. It's 1967 now, and just when things seem to have settled for everyone, the outside world is asserting itself in Iris. Long-haired, far-out Dan rolls into town in what can only be described as a hippie van. His borrowed cabin is a complete mess, he doesn't seem to have any occupation to speak of, he blasts horrible music, and he always seems to be surrounded by clouds of odd-smelling smoke.
Is there any room for Dan in this little community? Can Jon, Jimmy, and everyone else channel Iris magic one more time?
Or has this place of miracles finally met its match?
This uplifting, heartfelt sequel to Linda Stewart's Beautiful Sadness brings the reader back to the turmoil of the late 1960s, when old ways were forced to meet new—and sometimes found more common ground than anyone expected.
