The Evergreen of Willoughby Lake — GROWTH

About Growth

Growth focuses on Awasos, an animated storyteller and sagama (leader) of his Abenaki band — the Abenakis being a prominent Native American tribe of New England. When the French and Indian War displaces them, Awasos must overcome tragedy to lead his people through a pre-European Vermont. Along the way, the band winters in a lakeside meadow with an impressive Eastern White Pine (The Evergreen), where they find solace from the pain of losing their homeland and loved ones.

About the Series

Spanning centuries, The Evergreen of Willoughby Lake follows an Eastern White Pine and the souls who make it their home. While each of the nine novelettes tells an individually complete story, they’re connected thematically and build to a collective conclusion. We’re working hard toward releasing these sequels:

Axis - The second novelette in the series portrays the cultural melting pot that was America in the 1800s, with a particular focus on the lumber industry that clear-cut the vast majority of Vermont — and of grave concern to our titular Evergreen. Through the century, you’ll encounter a variety of individuals, such as British brothers pioneering the lake’s first settlement, a French Pastor with a folksy musical style, a Scottish lumberjack who suffers a life-altering injury, and many more. The text-only version of Axis is currently available on Kindle Vella.

Construct - This third novelette is an ode to the rich Irish heritage of Vermont’s NorthEast Kingdom (or ‘The NEK,’ as we call it). In this coming-of-age story, join a carpentry apprentice, Billy, as he constructs a lakeside cabin. However, camping alone at the worksite tests his nerve, especially with Hank, the master carpenter, filling Billy’s head with faerie horror stories. The text-only version of Construct is currently available on Kindle Vella.

Dispatch - We like to think of Dispatch as a slice-of-life romance through the first half of the 20th century. When George and Vivian Handler move into the cabin, their passion ignites the lake valley, and soon children join their happy family. But world events, such as the Great Depression and World War 2, threaten their tranquil small-town existence. Will the Handlers recover, or will the tumultuous times rip them apart?