I had noted in a previous post that a goal for 2021 is to read at least a book a month. So far so good so on to book number two.

The Characters are:

Arthur: an elderly gentleman who lives by himself as he had lost his wife, the love of his life, six months earlier.

Maddy: an 18 year old senior, who is very much a loner with no apparent friends.

Lucille: an elderly neighbor who lives alone and just reconnected with a high school sweetheart.

Nola: Arthur’s deceased wife

Anderson: Maddy’s one time boyfriend

Steven: Maddy’s father

This story starts out with a lot of sadness. Arthur visits his wife’s grave every day at noon and takes his lunch sandwich of peanut butter and jelly. He carries his chair with him and rides the bus with his sandwich in his pocket.

Maddy visits the cemetery often while she skips class because it is a quiet and beautiful place to think. She is bullied in school for being supposedly different and has no one that she has connected with as a friend.

Her father has no idea how to be a father for 18 years and he and Maddy have no connection either. He really shut down after Maddy’s mother passed away when Maddy was two months old.

While both Maddy and Arthur are in the same cemetery they begin to talk and begin a friendship and eventually find something they both seek. Each one serves a huge purpose for the other.

Maddy finds out that she is pregnant and tells Anderson. Of course she dreams that he is going to fall all over and be excited but he says that he is not going to be a part of this and of course acts like a dick and they part.

Maddy tells her father and of course he didn’t take it well either and was telling her what she was going to do, “get rid of that thing” and they parted ways too. He hasn’t tried to have a connection with his daughter for 18 years and now thinks he is going to call the shots.

Lucille is Arthurs neighbor who bakes wonderful treats. Her high school sweetheart sent her a letter and wanted to reconnect. They found after all the years there was still a spark and after a month they decided to move in with each other. They did not stay together in high school because he ended up marrying another woman and she had passed away. He had saved the ring that he had bought for Lucille in high school and he gave it to her. Sadly he passed away from a heart attack. Lucille was just a mess and Arthur helped her out of her despair.

Then the lives intertwine and it becomes very heartwarming where they help each other through the rough times. In their own ways they give what they have and it is just right. Along with that, they pull others into the circle of help and it is a domino affect without it being a conscious effort.

I recommend this book, it is an easy read and leaves a good feeling afterwards. My sister in law sent it for my birthday and said it was a nice book and hoped I liked it and she was right.