Quirky, freckle-faced Annie May Parker, who believes in omens and spirits, is coming of age in the 1950s in central New York farm country, the middle sibling between a boy-crazy older sister and a lovable little brother in a family headed by a hard-working traditional widowed mother. Deemed the responsible one and regarding herself as plain she takes to the attic for some quiet time where she discovers a dusty trove of journals that hold the deeds of daring of a diverse set of family ancestors.

Inspired by their courage she sets out to make them proud. But, when a letter and photo arrive at the Parker homestead Annie must choose between a coveted teaching job and rescuing the family's ancestral heritage, a deed that would take her half-way around the world to life she never could have imagined. It also forces her to come to terms with a long-held love she never dared to admit.

Beautifully written, with ancestral tales charmingly intertwined throughout The Lilac Bush is Blooming tells the tale of a family not only tied to their land but especially to each other.