The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp - Leonie Swann

I've discovered I have a newly found affinity for mysteries with seniors as the protagonists. Why? Maybe because I'm getting closer to that age group!

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann is one of those books.

Swann opens the book with Hettie perusing a curious set of shoes. Hettie just happens to be a tortoise! But she's one of a group of characters that populate Sunset Hall. The Hall is home to a group of seniors that live as a family. They're determined to not be sent to a institutional care home. They're a quirky bunch, all with some health issues, with memory loss being one of them. Swann alludes to their past employments, but I'll let you discover what those might be.

A body is found in their greenhouse (classic) and then another next door. There's no doubt about it - these are both murders and it's definitely too close to home! And of course, they start their own investigation. Given that memory loss is at the top of the list, we have more than one unreliable narrator. 
The past and present collide many times. What's now and what's then? As a reader we don't know and the path to the final aha moment doubles back on itself more than once.

I quite enjoyed this book, the characters, the premise and the plot. I do think it could be shortened up a wee bit though. See for yourself - read an excerpt of the Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp.

A Funny Kind of Paradise - Jo Owens

It was this description from Penguin Random House Canada that had me picking up Jo Owens' debut novel, A Funny Kind of Paradise. 

"A poignant, uplifting, brilliantly insightful story of one woman's end-of-life reckoning with her past, her lost daughter and herself, for readers of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Still Alice and Elizabeth Is Missing."

If you're of a certain age, you will have spent time visiting loved ones in care facilities. I have. And it's hard. I read the first few chapters and thought - I just don't know if I can read this one. But, I did pick it up again - and ended up loving it.

Francesca is the lead character. She is in a care facility as she can't look after herself - a stroke has robbed her of her voice, her mobility, her ability to eat and more. But she still understands everything being said.

Francesca: "And nobody wants to lie there like a vegetable. We don't want it for ourselves, nor for our loved ones. Better to die quickly than to endure a half life. That's what we think. But I surprised myself. I just want to live."

Owens tell her story from past and present as Francesca remembers her children Christopher and Angelina and her best friend Anna. As well as recalling her drive to succeed, her parenting skills or lack thereof, her attitude towards life, brusque manner and more. She's seeing from a different point of view now she's reflecting on her life. At the mercy of others for her care, Franny's world grows smaller as her heart grows bigger. Stripped of the extraneous, Francesca finds comfort in the smaller things and connects with people in a way she didn't before the stroke.

We also meet other residents in the five bed room as they come and go. But it is the care workers that truly open up Franny's eyes and heart as they become the larger part of her life. Their conversations, both work related and personal, are told in italicized font. Their styles of care and attitudes are all different, but for the most part they care about the residents. The conversations are at times brutal in their honesty. 

Now, here's the thing....Owens has worked as a health care aide for twenty years in Canada. She knows what she writes. There is one long term carer named Molly that I really liked - and I think maybe there's more than a bit of Owens' self woven into this character. Owens also points out in the author's notes that "I want to mention that the care aides in this book are appallingly ad about talking shop in front of the residents, which is a professional no-no. I let them talk that way, even though they're good aides) and should know better, because I want to write about what actually happens, rather than what ought to happen."

A Funny Kind of Paradise is a heartbreaking, heartwarming read that will have you thinking of what is important and what you truly value in life. 

"But this is nothing like my old life, that's for sure. So I guess I could say it's a funny kind of paradise for me too." Read an excerpt of A Funny Kind of Paradise.

You can connect with Jo Owens on her website and follow her on Twitter. 

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael - Beth Morrey

I do love my mayhem and murder tales. But I like a story that grabs you by the heartstrings too. Such is the case with The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey.

There are a lot of  books with seniors as the main characters - finding their way, robbing banks, starting revolts at the care home and more. I wonder if there's a genre tag for these?

No revolts or robberies in this one. Just a seventy nine year old, lonely ex-librarian named Missy Carmichael. Her husband is gone, she's estranged from her daughter and her son and grandchild live in Australia. (She's in England) She's lonely, but avoids people and spends her time waiting. For what, she's not sure.

And then something does happen - a dog named Bob, two eclectic women and a small boy invade her life, her home.....and her heart.

The publisher used this phrase to describe the book. And I think it's perfect....."a life-affirming, deeply moving “coming-of-old” story, a celebration of how ordinary days are made extraordinary through friendship, family, and the power of forgiving yourself–at any age."

Morrey does a wonderful job creating her characters. Missy is not a warm and cuddly person in the beginning. But as her life is remembered, I started to understand her pain. And as she starts to venture out into life again I was so happy for her and mentally kept urging her forward. Angela is bigger than life and I loved her 'pushiness'. Her son Otis gives Missy a chance to play and hug a small person again. And Sylvie - her enthusiasm for everything and everyone is infectious.

The plot grabbed me by the heartstrings and didn't let go. Every so often you need a pick me up tale. And The Love Story of Missy Carmichael is just right. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Love Story of Missy Carmichael.

Kudos to Beth Morrey - this was a fantastic debut novel.

On the Bright Side - Hendrik Groen

I 'met' Hendrik Groen in his first book - 2017's The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old. The follow up to that book is On The Bright Side: The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen 85 Years Old.

Hendrik resides in a nursing home in Amsterdam. We met many residents in the first book, but the focus is on the residents of the Old But Not Dead Club.

On the Bright Side is told in a series of journal entries over the course of a year. I love epistolary novels - they're quite intimate, letting us into the private world of a character. Through Hendrik's diary entries, we experience the highs and lows of living in a senior's care facility - the conflicts, the friendships, the day to day interactions, the worries, some shenanigans, memories, regrets, hopes and more. And though it's been done before - the us vs. them of management vs. seniors will have the reader cheering for the senior's 'team'.

Hendrik is such a wonderful character - he's kind and thoughtful, has a wry sense of humor and is determined to enjoy what time is left to him. The supporting cast is just as well drawn. The irreverent Evert is a personal favourite of mine.

On the Bright side explores the frailty and worries of being eighty five. But it also celebrates the joys of the simpler things in life - most importantly friendships.  But, yes, you may need a tissue or two.

Hendrik's observations will perhaps encourage readers to stop and listen a little more carefully to those nearing the end of their lives. And spend time with them. Perhaps they'll also envision what they want their own later years to look like. While this novel is a picture of aging in the Netherlands, the emotions and thoughts expressed are universal. Read an excerpt of On the Bright Side. And I'll be watching for Hendrik's next diary.

Giveaway - On the Bright Side: The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen

I thoroughly enjoyed the first Hendrik Groen book and I'm looking forward to reading his continuing story in On the Bright Side: The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 85 Years Old. And I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader!

From Grand Central Publishing:

"In the acclaimed follow-up to the #1 international bestseller The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, everyone’s favorite curmudgeon is back and as funny and charming as ever with the newest adventures of the Old-But-Not-Dead Club — for fans of Frederik Backman and Graeme Simsion.

Everyone’s favorite octogenarian is back and, together with his pals in the Old-But-Not-Dead Club, he is more determined than ever to wreak havoc and turn a twinkly eye on the brighter side of life.

After a year spent mourning the death of his beloved friend Eefje, Hendrik may be older and a little more wobbly, but his youthful appetite for mischief hasn’t diminished. When fears arise that the home is set for demolition, it’s up to Hendrik and the Old-But-Not-Dead Club to intervene." Read an excerpt of On the Bright Side.

"Hendrik Groen started his pseudonymous diary on the literary website of Torpedo Magazine. He says about his first novel: “There’s not one sentence that’s a lie, but not every word is true.” The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen has been translated into over twenty languages."

And if you'd like to read On the Bright Side, enter to win a copy using the Rafflectopter form below. Open to US and Canada, ends April 13/19.

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The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old - Hendrick Groen