Who can resist a novel where a dog resides at the heart of the
action? (Not me, that’s for sure!) Add a knitting club and themes of second
chances and that ups the ante.
A colorful story of Women’s Fiction about a washed-up writer
whose life changes after inheriting her birth-mother’s estate—and her memories.
In one day, 36-year-old Seattle sportswriter Maeve
"Mae" Stephens is laid off from her newspaper job, learns that her
boyfriend (a left fielder for the Mariners) is cheating on her, and gets mugged
for $32 in her wallet. No sooner does down-on-her-luck Mae move in with her
parents (who lovingly adopted her as a baby) when she receives a phone call
informing her that her birth mother, Annabelle, has died in a freak accident.
An old friend of Annabelle invites Mae to attend the funeral in the small town
of Timber Creek.
For years, Mae wrote Annabelle letters, which were returned to
her unread. But with life at a standstill, Mae sets off for Timber Creek and
learns she is the beneficiary of Annabelle's worldly possessions, including her
house, an old VW and a moody cat. When a wayward bulldog is found chained to
the front porch, Mae extends her stay. She's befriended by curious townsfolk,
including a handsome but blocked writer and a group of women as tight-knit as
the colorful sweaters they craft to keep local animals warm. Is there more than
meets the eye to the idyllic town--and to the story of Annabelle's life?
As Mae learns more about the woman who gave her up and why, she
also discovers herself--who she is and what she wants out of life. Annie England Noblin (The Sisters Hemingway, Pupcakes) spins a poignant, heartwarming story about
secrets and lies, strangers and lovers.
William
Morrow Paperbacks, $16.99 Paperback, 9780062748317, 384 pages
Publication Date: January
14, 2020
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on INDIEBOUND, link HERE
NOTE: This review is a reprint and is being posted with the permission
of Shelf Awareness. To
read this review as published via Shelf Awareness: Reader's Edition (February
11, 2020), link HERE