Peter Gourd has just received a Dear John email from his wife, Emily.  Shocked by the news that Emily is leaving him, Peter finds her at their vacation home, affectionately known as the Pumpkin House.  However Emily refuses to listen to him and Peter decides to lock her in the house and make her accept his apologies, even though he really doesn’t know what he did wrong.  But the tables are turned when Emily locks him in the house instead and forces him to reason out why their relationship has floundered.

The Pumpkin House is an emotionally satisfying tale that explores what happens when a married couple no longer finds fulfillment in the marriage and looks outside of it, whether with another person or a job, and must decide if their marriage is worth the fight to keep it together.  Although neither party is blameless, I found myself wanting to see them together again.  The Pumpkin House speaks with a true voice and resonated within me.  I can’t wait to read more from this talented writer.