The Lumby Lines is a friendly laid-back tale that takes place in a remote northwestern town. Here, 4200 relaxed townspeople never seem to take themselves too seriously. All appear rather happy, quaintly removed from anything sinister in the outside world. Lumby moves at its own pace with its own small newspaper: The Lumby Lines. Use your imagination to couple Andy Griffith’s friendly town of Mayberry with Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon and you will approximate Lumby.
The story line is not complicated. 
1) Vacationing in Lumby where they fall in love with the town’s simplicity and tranquil spirit, Mark and Pam Walker pull up their roots and relocate to rebuild Lumby's Montis Abbey. It was built in 1893. Until a fire ravaged the abbey, the main building and its grounds earned historic landmark status. But Pam and Mark are determined to rebuild the abbey and its thirty-four acres into a profitable inn.
2) The monks from the burned out abbey have moved to another location. These men befriend Mark and Pam when they learn of the reconstruction of their beloved former home, yet they are deeply troubled because the skills of penning calligraphy are no longer needed because of today’s computerized printing techniques. Once again, the monks can no longer afford the expenses of their present location and are faced with moving again.
3) Not all townsfolk are happy about the restructuring of Montis Abbey. In particular is the owner of the town’s newspaper who writes an editorial about the influences Montis Inn might wreak on the town's economy and its inhabitants. “Simply because the Walkers have obtained a business license does not mean their plans are a good thing for Lumby.”
How Gail Fraser’s quirky characters bring her winsome tale to a believable conclusion is the magic behind Lumby Lines. There are Mark and his wife Pam who leave the East Coast far behind to build a dream in humble Lumby. Both are highly intelligent professionals who desert well-paying jobs to strike out as business entrepreneurs with little or no real experience. But both are willing to learn as they go. They are convinced that love will get them through any difficulty.
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