Cats in Clover

Holly and Ben take early retirement, moving to five acres on a small west coast island. The situation is not as idyllic as it sounds, however. Ben wants a second career in market gardening but Holly hates the country. Holly wants a cat, but Ben thinks cats are boring and useless. They agree that if Holly truly cannot stand the farm after a year has passed, they’ll move back to the city. Holly crosses her fingers that she can keep the cat forever.

When George the Magnificent, tabby-Siamese ruler of all he surveys, is adopted by the couple, it doesn’t take him long to convert Ben to an animal activist. The menagerie quickly expands to include Henry, a stray cat with a Buddhist nature, a Samoyed dog and chickens, never mind the wild birds, deer and raccoons that Ben thinks he should feed. Add to this mix the renovation of dilapidated farm buildings, unexpected guests, invading cattle, and a well that runs dry, and Holly begins to wonder if the year will ever end.

And when it does, will she have the heart to deprive Ben of the land he loves so much?