At 79, Missy Carmichael feels like her life is over. Her husband is gone, her son moved to Australia, and she's estranged from her daughter, leaving her alone with her feelings in a too-large house. When a series of chance encounters expands her circle, Missy must decide whether to let new friends into her life or continue wallowing in nostalgia. Spirited Angie and her young son, Otis, bring Missy back to the joyous, stressful days of motherhood; big-hearted Sylvie helps Missy spruce up her dismal home; and kindly Denzil reminds Missy that being around others can be invigorating. But the real life-changer is Bobby, a lovable mutt whose loyal companionship opens Missy's heart and allows her to see her life in a new way. Morey's debut is a charming story about the way that connecting with others can heal a broken spirit, and curmudgeonly Missy's dilemmas are relatable and realistic. Flashbacks interspersed throughout the book reveal how Missy walled herself off from others, and readers will cheer as Missy's friends--and her dog--remind her how much she has to offer the world. Fans of Fredrik Backman and Rachel Joyce will enjoy this uplifting (but never saccharine) "coming of old" story.

An isolated, prickly septuagenarian in London who has lost her husband works to overcome her fears that she is a burden to those around her.Millicent CarmichaelMissymarried the man she loved, Leo, in 1959. But after a half-century of living, loving, and growing older in a huge house in Stoke Newington, London, he is gone, and she is bereft. Her son and grandson, both of whom she dotes on, live more than 9,000 miles away in Australia, and she is recently estranged from her daughter, who lives nearby in Cambridge. Missy is a difficult person with sharp edgesshe knows this, her Leo knew thisand she is at loose ends, having lived in a community for all this time without getting to know anyone because she held so tightly to her family she made no time for anyone else. But now, the loneliness is crushing her. A few life-changing moments happen in quick succession: She faints in the park and meets neighbor Sylvie, who kindly sits with her for a bit; her home is robbed while she feigns sleep; and she agrees to do a favor for brusque neighbor Angelajournalist, friend of Sylvie, and single mother to Otis. And so Missy finds herself tending to a vivacious dog of indeterminate breed, Bob, that she neither wanted nor feels capable of taking care of. Debut author Morrey has deftly created a series of love stories, interwoven together and told in snippets through time: Missy's undying devotion to Leo, despite hisand hermany flaws; her devotion to her children, which she often isn't able to verbalize; and her growing niche in the community that Bobher Bobby, her unexpected companion and confidantintroduces her to during their daily walks. There are no saccharine moments to mar this tale.Pain, grief, and hurt are all part of life in this moving portrayal of the many forms love can take. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

With the love of her life gone, her daughter estranged, and her son and grandson living halfway 'round the globe in Australia, 79-year-old Missy Carmichael carries on quietly in London. Then a big-hearted dog named Bob crash-lands into her life, which changes everything. Bought in a heated auction here following a ten-way auction in the UK, and British author Morrey already has another book under contract with the publisher.