The Handywoman

A murder/suicide of an elderly couple in a nineteen-twenties craftsman-style Orange Grove house on New Year's Eve alters the life of sixteen-year-old Robert (Bobby) Thomas. He lives just down the lane and was the last person to see the couple alive. The house sits vacant for over two years, tied up in a contentious estate settlement with the couple's estranged sons, until it is eventually sold at auction to a mysterious young woman. It had deteriorated significantly during those two years, and the new owner was expected to level the structure. Instead, she sets out to rehabilitate the old house and proves proficient in all aspects of renovation, like a handyman. Or more appropriately, a Handywoman. She hires now eighteen-year-old Bobby to help with the project. She will teach him the intricacies of her trade, instill in him a desire to become an architect, and steal his heart. When she disappears while he is away at a family reunion, Bobby embarks on a search for her that spans years and the globe. Along the way, he will uncover the many layers and intrigues surrounding the woman he has known as Milena Kivolic. This is a coming-of-age tale about the hunting heart, and the burdens we carry from our youngest years. It is an allegory of the tragedy that can emerge from the ashes of old hate and lost souls.