Prodigal Summer

Down the road live two elderly farmers different as night and day. Nannie Rawley is an organic farmer who specializes in apples. She is a strong woman, yet her heart is sad for the little girl she lost so long ago. She is cheerful and friendly, though deep down inside, she still has trouble understanding God's plan, and why her daughter was born with so many defects lived such a short life.

Next door to Nannie is Garnett Walker III. Widowed 8 years ago, he spends his time trying to reestablish the American chestnut into the Appalachian landscape. He is a cranky man, angry at Nannie for growing pests and weeds with her organic No Spray Zone. What we find is that Garnett is really just a lonely man. He finds excuses to terrorize Nannie, and she knows that. However, it's really the only human interaction he gets. Garnett has his own pain in the form of a son he disowned many years ago.

A widower and retired teacher, he focuses his attention on creating the perfect chestnut-tree hybr...