In Fallow Fields

Since relocating to central Vermont, after the untimely death of her parents, Emma McKinnon has planted roots—she has become an adult. With a good job, a homey cabin in the woods, and a boyfriend, Garret Slattery, who is established in the community, Emma hardly notices when her gut registers the dim echoes of emptiness. But when one of Garret’s mares, Georgia, births a beautiful foal, Emma is reminded of the beauty and vitality of life, and the struggle and pain that often accompanies it. Emma McKinnon is satisfied with her life. But are her expectations too low?

When Emma first meets Mason and Brent Walker, two local sons, at the general store, she is reminded of the convivial community she left behind in Rhode Island. But the closed nature of a small town soon becomes confining for Emma, when Mason, a veterinarian, and his mother, Theresa, as representatives for the Equine Rescue League, begin an investigation into Garret’s boarding practices, accusing him of neglect.

When Emma discovers for herself that Garret has knowingly neglected the horses in his care, she returns to her hometown in Rhode Island in order to gain clarity and perspective. Emma, despite her integrity and good intentions, is torn between doing the right thing—and possibly losing the security for which she so longs—and remaining in a relationship, however unsatisfying, and preserving the stability of her life.