Welcome to Acorn Valley

At age 19, Rainair was left the lone survivor after a tragic car accident with her best friend, Lisbet. Now 22, Rain is still stuck in an often silent yet violent existence of loss, grief, and pain. Her partner, Lev, will do anything to help Rain get well, even if that means losing parts of himself along the way. In trying to aid Rain on her path to recovery, Lev has become codependently engulfed in her seas of pain. As Rain has continued to slip away emotionally, Lev finds he cannot give up on her, no matter the cost it takes on him. In a moment of fateful haste, the two decide to move to a small and secluded country town, Acorn Valley, where they will both be forced down an unconventional path of healing and self-discovery.

Meet the Characters

Rainair

Rainair (nicknames: Rain and, by Lev, Rainbow), is 22 years old and has green eyes and straight, long strawberry blonde hair. Her body type is thin. She has some light-colored freckles that pepper her nose/under eyes. She is quite beautiful but rarely smiles. Because she is stuck in her teenage trauma of being the lone survivor of a car accident (losing her best friend Lisbet), her facial expressions tend to be long blank gazes or, during emotional episodes, tearful and angry (directed towards herself). Shortly after the accident, she was also diagnosed with bipolar and experiences frequent mood disruptions. She doesn’t have any prominent hobbies, as she quit living life after the accident. She rarely speaks (even to Lev) and does not open up to others. Lev has stuck by her side despite this and cares for her so deeply, almost to a self-detrimental fault. As a child and young teen, Rain was quiet, yet had a great sense of humor. She found joy in little things and was very perceptive to those around her. Rain has a history of self-harm (cutting, head banging, starving herself, as well as a history of attempted suicides). She likes Emo music, anything sad and emotional. She does not drive since the car accident she was in as a teen. She attended general college studies briefly (where she met Lev), but she dropped out due to her mental illness before graduating. Rain is not that close with her parents at this point, as she is so withdrawn from her life.

Lev

Lev is a kind, gentle, and soft spoken 23-year-old. He studied psychology, comparative religion, and English in college. Lev now works remotely for a non-profit organization that publishes a monthly peer-reviewed journal on psychology. He financially supports both Rain (who cannot work in her state of mind) and himself. He is tall, slender, and has brown curly hair and hazel eyes. He is good looking, trustworthy, devoted, and open-minded. Lev and Rain live in a flat in the city near the college, and later move to a home on 3 acres of land in a small, remote, country town called Acorn Valley. Lev’s hobbies are reading as well as writing poetry. Lev is close with his father and keeps in touch with him frequently. When Lev was eight, his mother committed suicide (overdose) due to untreated depression. Since then, Lev has developed a caretaker personality. Lev has developed a deeply codependent relationship with Rainair, wanting to “fix” her emotional turmoil.

Lisbet

Lisbet was Rainair’s best friend who died while driving the car with Rain when they were 17 years old. Although Lisbet is not alive anymore, her character will be revealed throughout the novel. English was not her first language as she was born and spent her first 4 years in Germany. Lisbet and Rain first met in Kindergarten and became quickly connected, despite the language barrier. They remained best friends through elementary and high school, up until the moment Lisbet passed away. Lisbet was spunky, precocious, bright, cheerful, with a streak of a rebellious trait. Rain was attracted to all of these qualities in Lisbet, and the two complimented/balanced each other with their personalities. Lisbet had long, light blonde hair with pale blue eyes and was of slender build.

Characters and Setting

Laylin

Laylin is an unmarried woman with gray hair and blue eyes who lives in Acorn Valley (a small, remote country town) and owns/runs the local country store, The Honey Hive Market. She lives on a farm that the market is connected to. She’s a bee keeper and sells her honey in The Honey Hive. She has an extensive garden and sells produce as well. She also raises chickens and ducks (selling fresh eggs) and has a large white dog named Chamomile (Chamo for short). Laylin is the first person Rainair and Lev meet when they move to Acorn Valley. She has some wrinkles from working years in the sun her whole life but is aging well for 72 years old. Constantly working the land and the store, Laylin is an extremely hard worker and is an independently thinking woman. She is known in the valley simply as Gram, because she is like a grandmother to everyone in the small town. Laylin always wears dresses, even when she is working in the garden or tending to her animals, and even in winter. She doesn’t wear makeup but doesn’t necessarily need to. Her natural beauty shines through, and her kind and nurturing smile is like a sweet cherry topping a sundae. Laylin will be essential in trying to help Rainair and Lev.

Chamomile

Laylin's large white dog, Chamomile (Chamo) for short) is four years old. He is trained to be off leash and is a farm dog. He stays by Laylin's side while she gardens and runs The Honey Hive Market. Chamomile happily greets store customers and is loyal and sweet-natured.

The Honey Hive Market

The Honey Hive Market (The Honey Hive for short) is owned and run by Laylin. It is the only local store in Acorn Valley and is well supported by the community.