Families of Lawhoma Hills

An Introduction to the Families of Lawhoma Hills

Saturday morning at the Lawhoma Hills Farmers Market, and Yaya knows every face in the crowd. The Banerjee boys are hauling amps for the afternoon set. Gus Franklin is unloading lumber two booths down from his own stand. Somewhere near the flower buckets, a certain pair of twelve-year-old twins is negotiating hard for kettle corn money. In this town, nobody is a stranger for long, and by the end of this post, they won't be strangers to you, either.

A Town Where Everyone Belongs

Lawhoma Hills was built on a simple idea: a small Oklahoma town where every kind of family has a porch light on. Timber wolves practice law here. A frog named Gus builds the new homes. Butterflies tend the gardens, and a bear cuts your hair on East Maple Street, all of them living right alongside Yaya and her very human family out on County Road 40.

Underneath the fur and feathers, these are neighbors you already know: blended families, new arrivals, families rooted in this land for generations, celebrating everything from Diwali to Juneteenth to the winter solstice, side by side. And all of them, paws, wings, and boots alike, share the same old Oklahoma understanding, that you take care of your neighbors and you take care of the land, because both were here before you and both will outlast you.

Every family in Lawhoma Hills lives by the same two rules the land itself taught them: leave the porch light on for whoever's coming, and leave the ground better than you found it.

But first, some introductions.

Start at the Heart: Yaya's Table

Every town has a center of gravity. Ours is Yaya: retired nurse, flower farmer, painter, music lover, and owner of Camp Run Amuck out on County Road 40, where most of the town's kids spend their summers. Her daughter Annie and son-in-law Stetson live close by with their twin boys, Hank, the thoughtful student council chairman, and Jasper, the big-hearted rodeo cowboy. Add Lolli and Pop, Tata, Millie, and two very opinionated dogs named RJ and Beans, and you've got the family at the center of nearly every story.

The Family Directory

The Whitehorse Family (Timber Wolves). Tommy Dale, the town attorney and a member of the Modoc tribe, is new to Lawhoma Hills with his wife Wynema and their girls, Rosie and Natalie.

The Roosevelt Family (Elk). Ranchers from neighboring Willow Grove. Lu and Carol Fay run Roosevelt Ranch and Rodeo, teenager Tex Cody lives for the arena, and little Dixie Cora, called D.C., is the fiercest mutton buster in the county.

The Ashe-Franklin Family (Frogs). A blended family finding its rhythm: music teacher Bridger, physical therapist Connie, and builder Gus Franklin of Augustus Construction, with kids Eleanor, Mack, and Will bridging two households.

The Banerjee Family (Deer). School superintendent Arthur, forest ranger Dahlia, and their musician sons Shep and Brick, the closest thing Lawhoma Hills has to a house band. The Banerjees bring Diwali to the town's calendar.

The Brewster Family (Bears). Barber Larry, nurse Casey Jo, retired broadcaster Papa Max, nursing student Shay, cross-country runner Tucker, and mountain biker Stevie.

The Chapman Family (Crows). Postmaster Daphne and artist Reed, whose daughters Ronnie and Wyatt are, respectively, a pageant girl who founded the Club of Being Different and a gymnast who never stops moving.

The Chen Family (Rabbits). Karate teacher Paul and dance instructor Kelly, kids Barbara, Lacey, and Kip, plus Nainai Lomai and Yeye Xin Lim, a retired teacher and a retired wrestling coach.

The Everett Family (Foxes). Ginger owns Gingersnaps, Eli works in tech, Chase runs the Science Club, and Wilder Kate, singer, performer, and Banned Book Club president, is a name you'll want to remember.

The Flanagan Family (Coyotes). Physician assistant Foster, baker Emma Mae, and a whole flurry of running daughters: Frankie, Edie Claire, Joey, and JJ.

The Goldberg Family (Owls). Grocery store owner and retired Army Ranger Eugene, museum curator Ophelia, and DJ-in-training Shia bring Hanukkah and a lot of heart to town.

The Hill Family (Honey Bees). Pete and Jordan, kids Beck, Sage, and Clover, and honey educators Nanny and Hootie. Yes, the bees keep the bees.

The Howard Family (Gulf Fritillary Butterflies). Herbalist Bootsie, lineman Ricky, and three dancing daughters, the family behind the town's pollinator gardens.

The Preston Family (Armadillos). Farmers Ross and Gladys co-founded the Farmers Market; sons Ranger and Ozzy carry the orchard, the goats, and the beeswax candles forward. Ranger and his new bride Carly are the town's favorite newlyweds.

The Quinn Family (Porcupines). Furniture builder Liam, fashion designer Caitlyn, and boys Jon Lucas, Paddy, and Micah, who is autistic, non-verbal, and one of the sharpest kids in town.

The Rodriguez Family (Raccoons). Manuel and Rosemary own Spruce Street Books, and kids Juan Carlos and Ruby run the wrestling mats and the STEM math club. Abuelita Shyra keeps Mexican history and home cooking alive.

The Simmons Family (Snakes). Pilot Carter, software developer Megan, and twins Wesley and Whip, who keep the skate rink rolling.

The Sinclair-Benefield Family (Turtles). Dr. Bridget Sinclair and biologist Matty Benefield are the town's favorite long-term couple, with marine biologist Bet Sinclair rounding out the science bench.

The Sweeney Family (Beetles). Tech dad Nick, lab scientist Lindsay, wakeboarding brothers Boone and Kolby, and Grandma Bertha, the neighborhood's extra set of hands.

The Sweetstripe Family (Skunks). Florist Stewart and chef Tally, of the Sac and Fox Nation, run Sweetstripe Floral and the Running Waters Cafe, with daughters Aponi, called Butter, and Sasha crafting up a storm at camp.

The Waddell Family (Ducks). Wade rents canoes and kayaks at Blue Creek Lake; Darla directs air traffic and volunteers for the climate; Trip, Smith, and Goldie fill the elementary school with noise.

The Windsor Family (Beavers). Landscaper Harry, civil engineer Charlotte, and Baby Beau Charles, the town's newest resident, born in the spring of Book One.

Which Family Are You?

Every reader ends up claiming a family. Are you a market-morning Preston? A backstage Everett? A build-it-yourself Windsor? Tell us your family in the comments, and if you're pinning from Pinterest, save this post so you can find the directory again mid-chapter.

Meet Them All, One Season at a Time

Every family above walks through the pages of A Year Behind the Pink Door, the novel that follows the whole town through one unforgettable year, narrated by Yaya herself. Readers with younger bookworms at home can start with the Camp Run Amuck middle grade series, where the kids of these families take the spotlight.

In Lawhoma Hills, the welcome mat and the wildflowers get the same care, because around here, neighbors and nature are the same word for home.

Lawhoma Hills, Oklahoma