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Description
In the Arizona desert, an unlikely friendship becomes a fight for land, legacy, and the courage to choose what's right.
Far from her father's fraudulent schemes in Pennsylvania, twenty-two-year-old Bee Wells has reinvented herself in Arizona, working for a real estate company developing the world's first "pandemic-proof" community. Smart, capable, and eager to keep her distance from her past, Bee believes she's finally found solid ground.
That illusion cracks when her boss asks her to befriend Sydelle Hammer, a sharp-witted ninety-two-year-old rancher whose family has worked the neighboring land for over 150 years. What begins as a calculated assignment turns into a genuine friendship -- one that opens Bee's eyes to the deep roots, hard truths, and fragile future of the desert they share.
As developers and environmental activists quietly maneuver to seize Sydelle's ranch, Bee realizes that greed wears many disguises. When Sydelle suffers a mini-stroke and the pressure intensifies, Bee must decide whether to stay silent -- or take a stand that could cost her everything she's built.
At a crossroads between ambition and integrity, Bee must choose the best way forward for the land, for Sydelle, and for herself.
A timely, character-driven novel about intergenerational friendship, moral courage, and what it means to defend what truly matters.
About the Author
Sheila Grinell earned a B.A. in English literature at Harvard University and a Certificate in creative writing at Phoenix College. Her debut novel, Appetite, was published in 2016 and a second novel, The Contract, in 2019. After a 40-year career in science museums, Grinell now gives talks at libraries and bookstores and engages with readers on social media about "writing as a second act." A resident of metro Phoenix since 1993, she has served as Writer-in-Residence for the Mesa Public Library system and was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame.
Praise for Promise in the Desert "Phoenix's ranching roots collide with competing visions of its future in this gripping tale of land, legacy, and desert grit. With sharply drawn characters and heartfelt nods to the places locals hold dear, it reveals what it takes to survive -- and thrive -- under the Sonoran sun. Sheila Grinell shows us that the desert doesn't forget, and neither do the people who love it."
-- Kate Gallego, Mayor, City of Phoenix
"Sheila's writing is compelling and sophisticated, a pleasure to read, and introduces the reader to places and situations that are cross-cultural and stimulating. Filled with authentic and memorable characters, Promise in the Desert celebrates Bee's evolution into a fully actualized woman, and we can look forward to more of her adventures in future iterations of Sonoran Stories."
-- Patricia Grady Cox, author of Chasm Creek and Hellgate
"In Promise in the Desert, author Sheila Grinell paints a strong sense of place for this drama set in urban Phoenix. The themes of friendship, familial legacy, and loyalty weave throughout as the young Bee Wells must weigh her employer's hidden motives for a large swath of undeveloped land against her growing respect for the land's owner."
-- Katrina Shawver, author of Henry-A Polish Swimmer's True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America
"Bee Wells arrives in Phoenix alone and naïve with a dream of creating a new way to live in the desert. She discovers a friendship that helps her succeed beyond her wildest dreams. This coming-of-age story combines adventure and romance with the ecosystem of this unique desert."
-- Pam Hait, author of Day Trips from Phoenix, Tucson & Flagstaff (14th edition)
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