Penelope Greensmith is a bio-librarian, responsible for a vast seed bank made possible by the mysterious Vice she inherited from her father.



She lives a small, dedicated life until the day the mysterious and charming Horticulturalist arrives in her garden, asking to see her collection. He thinks it could hold the key to stopping a terrible plague sweeping the universe.



Soon Penelope is whisked away on an intergalactic adventure by the Horticulturalist, seeing the vast and bizarre mysteries amongst the stars.



But as this gentle woman searches for a way to save the universe, her daughter Lily is still on Earth, trying to track her down, trying to survive the terrible events unfolding there...



"Greensmith is a head-spinning, brain-expanding journey through the universe. Funny, and sometimes startlingly mournful, Greensmith proves that Aliya Whiteley is capable of producing stunning work in any genre."

- Tim Major, author of Snakeskins and Hope Island