A novel in the environmental literature genre, "Second Rising" combines a mystery, a love story, and a struggle against injustice. The story is set in a small town in Washington's Cascade Mountains, where the narrator, Lauren, has bought a café. She hopes to burnish her reputation and move on as a chef, but a struggle is building between the townspeople and a billionaire whose secret project threatens their lands and way of life. Forced toward a deeper question—How shall we live, if we truly believe the earth is alive?—an eclectic group draws on both ancient traditions and modern cultures to create a new kind of city. With transformations surrounding her, Lauren faces bittersweet choices among friendships, work, and the man and the place she is coming to love.