Winter's Secret

Finished March 27

Winter's Secret by Lyn Cote

This is the first book in the series Northern Intrigue, set in small town and rural Wisconsin. Someone has been breaking into homes while the owner is away, destroying things for seemingly no reason, and taking only cash, nothing traceable. Many of the victims are seniors and out of the homes temporarily for health reasons. 

One of the main characters is Wendy Carey, a home health nurse in the area. Wendy is first on the scene for one of these crimes as she is driving a patient home after a night away. Wendy lives with her younger sister, who is a senior in high school. Their mother has recently remarried and moved to Florida and both she and her new husband are recovering alcoholics. Wendy's father died when she was young, but she is close to her paternal grandfather. Due to her job, Wendy is familiar with many of the seniors who have been victims of the crimes in question. 

The new sheriff, the other main character, is Rodd Durant. Rodd lived part of his childhood in the area, but grew up elsewhere. He came back after inheriting his uncle's ranch. He is growing increasingly frustrated by the ongoing crimes as there is call from some locals questioning his abilities as the crimes continue. He asks for Wendy's help, learning about who might be potential targets. 

Wendy has also been a victim of the town gossips, mostly around her mother's past. She tries to not let it bother her, but it does. As the two spend time together, feelings develop and Wendy worries about drawing Rodd into the negative gossip. 

Wendy and her family are strong churchgoers, and close to the local minister and his family, often babysitting their very active young son when needed. We see into some of their family life, and the minister's family as well. 

This novel definitely shows both the good and bad of being part of a small community, and the realities of aging. An enjoyable read.

In for a Penny

Finished November 26

In for a Penny by Kelsey Browning and Nancy Naigle

This cosy mystery has elements of humour and craziness. Set in small town Georgia, it begins with Lillian Summer Fairview dealing with the situation she discovers after her husband's death. The entirety of what she is dealing with only comes to the reader gradually. Lillian wanted to give her husband a proper funeral, and to get the money to do that she committed a crime. She is now readying herself for a trip to jail.

Part of her plan was to get her friend Maggie, also a widow, to move into her large house, a listed property that has been handed down in her family for generations. She also leaves instructions for Maggie to retrieve her car from the prison parking lot. Maggie doesn't discover the full situation until after Lillian is gone, and she tries to protect her friend's privacy and reputation.

The local police chief is a good man, but Lillian has kept him unaware of her situation as well. He drops into the house often and finds himself assisting the women with maintenance as it arises. When he is asked to move along an RV trying to camp in the local Walmart parking lot, something compels him to move them the Lillian's property. There, the RV owner Sera finds herself befriending Lillian and Maggie. When the chief is asked to intervene in another senior lady's travels, she ends up at Lillian's as well. 

There the three women look at Lillian's situation without her and determine that there is someone else involved who shouldn't be getting away scot-free, and they begin an investigation that has them determined to get their man.

I liked the characters, who started out looking like caricatures, but became more nuanced as the story unfolded. There is humour, intelligence, and southern charm here, and they all bring something to the situation.

A Five-Letter Word for Love

Finished October 5

A Five-Letter Word for Love by Amy James

I really enjoyed this unexpected romance. Emily has dreamed of a creative career in a bustling city, with a group of close friends that she confides in and spends time with outside of work, but she hasn't fully identified what exactly she wants to do, and so, for the moment, she is house-sitting for friends of her parents. The house is in small town Prince Edward Island, and she's managed to get a job as receptionist at a local garage. She tries to keep in touch with friends from college but feels increasingly that they've moved on.

She decides that it is time to invest in her life, and tries a number of things, from making a date in nearby Charlottetown on an online dating site to volunteering at the only museum in town, one about barrel-making. As she gets to know the staff and volunteers at the museum, she begins making friends, and she finds herself coming up with creative ways to promote the museum.

When her elderly neighbour needs assistance, she finds herself starting a side business of senior care, and when she plays her daily Wordle at work, she learns that one of the mechanics also plays, and may not be as boring as she thought, although John is definitely car-obsessed, and part of the local racing community.

As Emily puts herself into her community, she finds she gets a lot more in return than she expected, but some of her efforts beyond the community also bear fruit for her, and she finds the life she wanted is a real possibility. 

I liked the character Emily, with her energy and ideas, and her uncertainties for the future. I was like that when I was her age too. She is a caring person, curious and open, and I appreciated the changes that she went through as she connected with people. This is a story about a woman figuring out her life, not just her love life, and I really wanted to see what happened with her life.

Eddie Winston is Looking for Love

Finished January 26

Eddie Winston is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin

This is definitely a feel-good read. The title character is ninety and works at a charity shop, sorting through the donations and helping customers. Marjie is the shop manager, and he has become friends with her over the years, even if he doesn't understand her habit of drinking Oxo. Eddie has a secret. When he comes across personal things, he saves them, and takes them home. They are never items worth anything, but papers, photographs, small mementos. He did take home a guinea pig that a mother dropped off when she and her boys were on their way to a shelter. They called it Spiderman, but he renamed it Pushkin Spiderman Winston, and cares for it deeply. When the store is quiet he reads Mills & Boon novels, ones that came into the shop as donations. 

Eddie is a people watcher. He pays attention, noticing when his neighbour Daniel is attracted to his other neighbour Thitima, and tries to help it along. 

When he meets Bella, a young woman who brings in a box of things after her boyfriend's death, he makes a connection and the two become friends. that is when he reveals another secret. He's never been kissed. Bella resolves to help Eddie and puts a listing up for him on a dating site for people over seventy. 

This leads to other changes in his life. He begins to be more daring with his wardrobe, trying out things more colourful that appeal to him. 

There is also another timeline, one that follows Bridie Brennan, starting in 1954 when she is standing outside the church where her wedding is supposed to be happening, trying to decide whether to go in or not. We follow her through the 1960s, as she marries a university English professor and works in the administrative office of the college. It is there that she and a younger Eddie meet. They become friends. 

I came to truly care about not only the central characters of Eddie and Bridie, but also about Bella and Marjie, and the other characters that Eddie ends up coming into contact with. He is an interesting man, and one I would love to get to know myself. I can see him come alive in my head. 

What a wonderfully uplifting read. 

The Lonely Fajita

Finished April 10

The Lonely Fajita by Abigail Mann

This novel came to my attention through one of my students, who included it in a booklist assignment. The plot sounded interesting, and I definitely enjoyed it. 

The main character is Elissa, a woman in her twenties who has an internship at a online dating company that only pays her expenses. She lives with her boyfriend Tom in an apartment shared with two other tenants, one of whom is relatively new and the landlord's daughter, Shamaya. 

Elissa and Tom's relationship has cooled lately and Shamaya is saying the occupancy doesn't allow couples.

When Elissa sees and advertisement for ElderCare Companionship, a program where a young person gets a room in the home of a senior in return for support and companionship, in a bid to cut down on isolation. Elissa applies on a whim, although she is hoping for Tom to move to a new apartment with her. 

When Elissa gets matched with an eighty-three year-old widow named Annie, she has second thoughts, but without many options, she agrees to a meeting to confirm.

And so Elissa moves in with Annie, and things get very interesting. 

Elissa is an interesting character, with less confidence than she should have, and some good friends who want her to reach her potential, Maggie and Suki. I enjoyed seeing her grow during the course of the novel. Maggie is a primary teacher, married with no children. Suki works in the same cooperative technology building as Elissa, and is a big support for work issues, and has an active lesbian love life. 

Annie is a woman who has her own regrets and secrets, and who both learns from Elissa and teaches her things. 

I love these character-driven books with friend relationships between women of different generations and this one was no exception. A great read, with some surprises along the way. 

Season of Fury and Wonder

Finished March 28

Season of Fury and Wonder by Sharon Butala

This collection of short stories is told from the point of view of older women. Each story has a woman in her older years telling her tale. The women have a variety of experiences but have all had interesting lives with ups and downs. Some are trying to change their lives, some are trying to hold on to what they have, and some are looking for meaning and connection.

There are ten stories, and each is inspired by, or in response to, a classic short story (or in two cases a poem and a play), and that connection is noted at the beginning of each of these stories. Thus these are both a tribute to those writers and an insight into women's lives. 

I loved the explanation of how these stories came to be in the preface and I also enjoyed an online panel where the author, along with 3 other Canadian older female authors discussed the older women characters in their recent works. It was a fascinating and insightful experience. 

What Else We Talk About When We Talk About Love tells of an unexpected experience of love and wonder when visiting a relative in a hospice.

Grace's Garden tells of a woman trying to hold on to her independence.

Elephants has a woman visiting an art gallery and being reminded of her past loves and friends.

Soothsayer is centered on a woman who has always been aware of her ability to sense things beyond what most see, and who having an unusual experience with a bird thinks on the men in her recent life.

Pansy tells of a woman visiting the town she grew up in and being reminded of her losses in life.

The Things That Mattered has a woman weeping and examines herself dispassionately to understand why.

Guilt: A Discussion is told by a woman living in long term care home, having regular get-togethers and talks with three other women there that have them looking back on their lives, where she makes a surprising confession.

Sisters has three sisters who have travelled from other parts of the country to one sister's home for an annual meeting.

The Departed is told by a woman at a large family Christmas gathering observing everyone there, yet feeling alone.

Downsizing has a woman going through a list of old boyfriends to see if she can find someone to be with now to avoid being alone.

A truly enjoyable reading experience, where I paced myself, allowing one story a day to savour each one.

Harvey Comes Home

Finished June 17
Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson, illustrated by Tara Anderson

This middle grade book about the delightful West Highland Terrier Harvey and his adventures is set in Winnipeg. When Maggie and her family go off on vacation, a dog sitter is engaged, but it doesn't take long for Harvey to follow his nose out of the yard to adventures.
Once Harvey has followed those interesting smells for long enough, he no longer smells his way home, and he must scavenge for food and shelter until a boy finally spots him outside a seniors home. Austin has been going to the seniors home daily, as a punishment. At the home, he helps his grandfather with cleaning and light maintenance work, and begins to interact with the residents. One of them asks for his help with crossword puzzles, and another supplies him with delicious baked goods. There is one resident, the oldest one at 96 who keeps to himself, until the arrival of Harvey.
Harvey provides a bridge for Austin to connect to Mr. Pickering, as the older man begins to share the stories of his childhood, Bertie, the girl who was his best friend, and his farm dog General.
Austin is reluctant to let Harvey go, and doesn't do what he should in finding Harvey's owner.
Meanwhile Maggie is kept in the dark about Harvey going missing until after they return from vacation, and then she is distraught. She makes up posters and begins posting them all over town, as she is desperate for his return.
The eventual reconnection as Harvey reunites with Maggie is poignant as Austin feels his loss and Maggie sees the connection that Harvey has made with Austin.
I really enjoyed this book.

Harvey Holds His Own

Finished June 11
Harvey Holds His Own by Colleen Nelson, illustrations by Tara Anderson

This book continues Harvey's adventures from the previous Harvey Comes Home. Maggie is entering high school at St. Ambrose's Academy, a private school for girls in Winnipeg. Two of her friends are also going to the school which provides some continuity.
One of the requirements at school is to do volunteer hours, and after looking at the list of approved places, Maggie chooses Brayside Retirement Villa, a place she and Harvey are already familiar with. She is a bit nervous, but the staff and residents at the villa are welcoming and some even recognize her from her earlier visit. She is also allowed to bring Harvey with her when she volunteers. Austin, also volunteering at the Villa, is happy to see Harvey again, and a friendship develops between the two young people.
Maggie sorts the books in the library, which are in a disorganized state, and helps a new resident, Josephine Fradette, unpack. She begins to develop a friendship with Josephine as she learns her story.
I really enjoyed this book, as we see Maggie grow and venture into new experiences. She shows good character, and we learn a little about Winnipeg history as well.
Harvey also develops. We see West Highland Terrier nature in his doggedness and his hunting. When he senses an intruder in his territory, he hunts it down to ensure it doesn't return. He also shows an empathetic side towards Maggie, sensitive to her emotions, and a caring side when he interacts with the various seniors at the villa.
The drawings bring Harvey to life, and I liked how the drawing at the start of each chapter gave a hint to the story to come.
There are lots of interesting characters here, and I look forward to more books about Harvey and the people he loves.

Cygnet

Finished August 31
Cygnet by Season Butler

Kid, a seventeen-year-old girl has come to a remote island off the New Hampshire coast to live with her grandmother. Kid has led a peripatetic life, as her parents wandered from city to city, in search of a life. Her mother was a scavenger, who taught Kid to find food where she could and to cook. She also taught her how to avoid the worst of her father's mood swings. But as her parents gradually succumbed to drugs, Kid became more alone, and it was only when social services removed her from her parents that she was taken in by her grandmother Lolly.
The island, Swan Island, is home to a community of retired people, many with a hippie vibe, some of whom resent the intrusion of Kid, especially as her stay lengthens beyond that originally proposed by Lolly. As the book opens, Kid is living alone in Lolly's house, after Lolly's sudden death, hoping for her parents' return, desperately watching as the sea reclaims the land the house is on.
She manages to make her living working for one of the wealthier retirees who wants to remake her past. As Kid rewrites diaries and letters, doctors photographs, and makes other changes to reflect the woman's imagined perfect past, she also begins a relationship with a young man who visits his own grandmother. The young man, Jason, also supplies the island with a variety of legal and illegal pharmaceuticals, and acts as the middleman for their own modest pot-growing business. 
Kid has also grown close to another retiree, who is sinking fast, first through dementia and then through physical setbacks.
There are other nearby islands, one the former home of a beloved poet, another the site of a marine research team from the nearby university, a third a popular camping destination. These islands play a role in Kid's future as well.
As Kid comes to her eighteenth birthday, she must make choices about her life, and find a way to move on without the help of others.