When botanical illustrator Lily Hamilton returns to northern Wisconsin, her grandmother Martha's garden defies nature—sunflowers tower in March, roses pulse with frequencies, and plants respond to synesthetic abilities both women have hidden for generations.
The impossible garden preserves memories, each bloom triggering flashes of conversations the Hamilton family tried to forget. As Lily reconnects with Martha, she discovers the garden amplifies communication most people can't access—rooted in their neurodivergent perception.
But someone else wants the garden's secrets. When strangers ask questions and mysterious lights appear, protecting their legacy becomes urgent. To decode the garden's evolving patterns and uncover a buried family secret that could heal their relationship—or alter reality—Lily must embrace the sensory differences she's spent her life suppressing.
A lyrical exploration of neurodivergent experience wrapped in rural mystery.
Raymond Brunell writes literary fiction exploring recovery, observation, and quiet transformation. His work has appeared in Skeleton Flowers Press, Brilliant Flash Fiction, Moss Puppy Magazine, and Across the Margin. He lives in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.View all by Raymond Brunell
