Nestled in the Northwest is a quaint little town that its quirky residents are proud to call home. With charming shops lining its one main thoroughfare, Lumby is home to the oldest apple tree in the county and the smallest bank in the state. And though it's hours from the nearest big city, readers will always find Lumby close to their hearts. When Mark and Pam Walker, a vacationing couple from the East Coast, decide to restore Lumby's ramshackle Montis Abbey and turn it into an inn, it takes a while for the locals to warm up to them. Especially the irascible William Beezer, owner of The Lumby Lines-the newspaper "worth the paper it's printed on." At every turn, he tries to hinder the Walkers' efforts. But the couple soon learns that for every citizen like William, there are many more willing to lend a hand-and that Lumby isn't just a place, it's a way of life.