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The lawnmower lady is Fay Kirkwood, grumpy offshoot of an old New England family who left behind social connections to live on a north country farm, raising pigs and fixing lawnmowers.  Having dropped dead at age 78, she is horrified to discover that she is still here, watching helplessly as her niece carries out a wish she had meant as a joke, to have her body taken into the woods to feed wildlife.

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This unorthodox “green burial” launches a chain reaction of consequences far beyond anything Fay intended or imagined, but she is powerless to intervene. All she can do is vent frustration in acid-tongued commentary and urgings that go unheard.

The story that unfolds is a comedy of small-town life, New England culture, death, religion, politics, and secrets of all kinds coming to light.

What early readers have said:

“The Lawnmower Lady is the rare page-turning novel full of suspense, intrigue, and romantic desire that also succeeds as a literary work of art—masterfully crafted and resonant with insight. Forbes writes with the authority of a well-informed and gifted critical thinker with astute observations to offer. With her complex, nuanced characters she illuminates the human condition and its brilliant, messy struggles; captures the quirks and charms of rural Vermont town life; celebrates the transcendent power of music; and acknowledges the tensions inherent in faith traditions without ever pontificating. Her elegant prose, steeped in vivid sensory detail and effective analogy, is a joy in itself, but it is her wisdom that shines brightest. I fell in love with her characters who delight, frustrate, and surprise, and wanted to linger a long while in their quite beautiful, mucky world. What an authentic, life-affirming, and hope-restoring gift!”

—Marjorie Nelson Matthews, author of The Red Wheelbarrow

“Chilling, hilarious, irreverent, and fun, Forbes’ bighearted novel defies classification. Love story, thriller, satire, and mystery combine to make this piece of rural New England life a universal and fun exploration of death and life everlasting.”

—Marguerite Graham, retired educator

“The Lawnmower Lady had me from the opening scene. This hard-to-put-down story follows the spirit of Fay, known in her small town as the lawnmower lady, as she observes the reactions of her friends, acquaintances, and family to her death and the life she lived. We are taken along on this wonderful ride, with all of its twists and turns, as fellow flies on the wall. Highly recommended.”

—Peter Collier, retired clinical social worker and musician