Laurie Frankel has a way of treating serious issues in a warm and loving way, and of bringing understanding to contentious topics. Maybe this book can open a few yes to the horrors of the Texas (and unfortunately other states’) laws.
–Karen Emmerling, Beach Books, Seaside, OR
I was instantly drawn to 77-year-old Pepper Mills; as a narrator, she welcomes the reader into her changing life with sass, wit, and warmth. As we learn more about the assisted living chapter of her life, we get a deep dive in geriatrics and empathy. Then her life takes the turn that is both miraculous and nightmarish; hypotheticals become heartrendingly real. Laurie draws such poignant parallels between ways people lose autonomy (young people, seniors, women of all ages), and she depicts ways brave, caring people stand up to protect it. Frankel fans will recognize the overall sense of tenderness, respect, community, and strength that pervade the novel. I particularly loved how Pepper, Moth, and friends demonstrate healthy, heartwarming, mature love, both romantic and platonic. This book is somehow shocking, galvanizing, and comforting all at once. It will be a perfect discussion book for book clubs!
–-Tegan Tigani, Queen Anne Book Company, Seattle, WA
Flex your empathy with books from Beach Books, Queen Anne Book Company, and other independent bookstores.
