To Pick a Lupine

Campobello Island, 2019. Romeo Peppercorn III-young, awkward and financially independent-has purchased a long-abandoned estate on a small, picturesque Canadian island. This property, which he names The Thousand Lupines, is regarded with some trepidation by the islanders. For good reason. Peppercorn’s persevering research takes us back to the late nineteenth century, recounting the moving and mysterious story of the only previous inhabitants of the large estate: Bez Benjamin, his wife, Lupine, and their extraordinary ten-year-old daughter, Julia Louisa. We learn about the remarkable friendship forged between the young heroine and a mysterious nine-year-old, one-armed boy named Theophilos. Written with humour and compassion, the novel explores the themes of resilience, difference and unconditional love. Featuring a cast of amusing and eccentric characters, To Pick a Lupine is a poignant story about the triumph of the human spirit.