Populated

Tales from the Sheep Farm #2

by Susan Helene Gottfried

Delia Ford is Port Kenneth’s newest social media darling, a young woman with a camera and a habit of showcasing what she views as the best of the city’s people in a social media series she calls Populated Portraits.

But Delia Ford is very much alone.

When an art thief breaks into the Woolslayer Art Gallery and steals all of her art—and only her art—and then inexplicably leaves some of it in public places, often with taunting notes attached, Delia fights back the only way she knows By engaging her thief in a game of cat and mouse that elevates the entire Port Kenneth art scene, including elementary school artists and knitting bombers.

People flock to Delia’s her parents and brother, her neighbor, city influencer Tess Cartieri, the cop working the case, and one Meter Shaikovsky, her casual man who offers more benefits than friendship—or so it seems.

By the time the art thief is revealed, Delia has become a force for change in Port Kenneth, and her world has become strangely populated.

Genres: Romance, Fiction

329 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 21, 2023

About the author

Susan Helene Gottfried is the heavy-metal-loving, not-disabled-enough divorced Jewish mother of two. A freelance line editor to authors of fiction by day, her select roster of clients tend to hit bestseller lists, and more than a few have quit their day jobs. It’s not entirely her doing, but like does attract like.

Susan holds a BA (University of Pittsburgh) and MFA (Bowling Green State University) in English Writing and Fiction, respectively.

She lives with a couple cats in the Pittsburgh suburbs, just West of Mars. Visit her at http://WestofMars.com and http://TalesFromTheSheepFarm.com.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I jumped into the second book first because I wanted to meet Delia and she was great! All the characters seem so relatable and I found myself so interested in their daily lives that I almost forgot about the art thief until he kept coming back in.

Overall I felt the book as well written and the characters lovable. Looking forward to ready other books!

[Susan Gottfried]

I'd thought Mack and Tess, the couple at the heart of Maybe the Bird Will Rise and, in a way, the entire Tales from the Sheep Farm project, were the main characters of my heart.

And they are.

But then Delia Ford arrived. Sassy, strong, fearless. A survivor, a fighter, a creative thinker -- and a woman with a lot more baggage than Tess ever will accumulate in her lifetime. Delia had a past from day one, but as she revealed herself to me, I realized part of that past was because she was running away from something. SomeONE.

Populated is the story of Delia Ford. Who fearlessly runs TO an awful lot in this book.

Here's to strong women. May we read about them. May we love them.

May we be them.

[Sareh Micheal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Populated is one of those quiet, surprising novels that sneaks up on you. At first, Delia Ford seems like a familiar modern figure a young artist curating connection through social media while privately feeling isolated. But as the story unfolds, Gottfried layers in mystery, humor, and genuine emotional growth in a way that feels organic and deeply human.
The art theft plot is clever and playful, especially the way it pulls an entire community into Delia’s orbit from schoolchildren to knitting bombers. What stood out most to me was how loneliness, creativity, and belonging are explored without melodrama. By the end, Delia’s transformation feels earned, and Port Kenneth itself feels alive. A warm, inventive story about finding connection in unexpected ways.

[Cindi Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delia had put up walls around herself because of an abusive ex, health trauma, and overprotective parents. An art thief makes her photography more well known to the community which in turn brings her closer to Meter. Meter was just an occasional hook up from a local club.
Tess is back in this the 2nd book of the series. She has become friends with Delia because of the goings-on of the art thief.
In the end, she's starting to slowly remove the walls brick by brick.