The big finish /
Material type: TextPublisher: New York : Berkley, 2020Edition: First editionDescription: 326 pages : illustrations ; 24 cmContent type:- text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9781984804938
- 1984804936
- 813/.6 23
- PS3606.O7494 B54 2020
Item type | Current library | Home library | Collection | Call number | Copy number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard Loan | Calispel Valley Library Adult Fiction | Calispel Valley Library | Book | FOSSEY (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 50610021194761 | ||||
Standard Loan | Coeur d'Alene Library Adult Fiction | Coeur d'Alene Library | Book | FOSSEY (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 50610022357839 | |||
Standard Loan | Hayden Library Adult Fiction | Hayden Library | Book | FOSSEY (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 50610022390269 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
One of Goodreads Top 25 Feel-Good and Escapist Books to Read in Quarantine as seen in USA Today
"[A] funny, winning debut."-- People
"Delightfully quirky and endearing...an absolute pleasure to read!"--#1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin
Meet Duffy, an old curmudgeon who lives in an assisted living home.
Meet Josie, a desperate young woman who climbs through his window.
Together, they're going to learn it's never too late--or too early--to change your ways.
For Duffy Sinclair, life boils down to one simple thing: maintaining his residence at the idyllic Centennial Assisted Living. Without it, he's destined for the roach-infested nursing home down the road--and after wasting the first eighty-eight years of his life, he refuses to waste away for the rest. So, he keeps his shenanigans to the bare minimum with the help of his straight-laced best friend and roommate, Carl Upton.
But when Carl's granddaughter Josie climbs through their bedroom window with booze on her breath and a black eye, Duffy's faced with trouble that's sticking around and hard to hide--from Centennial's management and Josie's toxic boyfriend. Before he knows it, he's running a covert operation that includes hitchhiking and barhopping.
He might as well write himself a one-way ticket to the nursing home...or the morgue. Yet Duffy's all in. Because thanks to an unlikely friendship that becomes fast family--his life doesn't boil down the same anymore. Not when he finally has a chance to leave a legacy.
In a funny, insightful, and life-affirming debut, Brooke Fossey delivers an unflinching look at growing old, living large, and loving big, as told by a wise-cracking man who didn't see any of it coming.
"An unlikely friendship between a curmudgeonly old man and a desperate young woman delivers a funny and uplifting message about the power of human connection and how it's never too late to be the person you wanted to be. Eighty-eight-year-old Duffy Sinclair wants the last leg of his bachelor life to be strictly predictable, so Centennial Assisted Living is perfect: low-sodium meals, off-key sing-alongs, and the company of his best pal and roommate, Carl. It may not sound like much, but compared to the piss-smelling, roach-infested nursing home down the road, Centennial is paradise. There's only one problem: Carl's estranged granddaughter, Josie, has just clambered through their bedroom window. Though she claims it's a well-intentioned visit, her bare feet and black eye say otherwise. Carl begs Duffy to let her stay - she's all that's left of his family. But hiding her means risking eviction, and Duffy would rather die than move, just like he would rather die than fall off the wagon again. That's why when he sniffs out Josie's alcoholic tendencies, he has no choice but to go against Carl's wishes and chase her off. But before Duffy knows it, Josie's heartfelt plight has won him over, and he finds himself risking everything he has left to save his newfound family and discover what it really means to live"--Provided by publisher.
Excerpt provided by Syndetics
Reviews provided by Syndetics
Library Journal Review
DEBUT This humorous, wise novel features octogenarian Duffy Sinclair and a cast of characters residing in the Centennial Assisted Living Home. While curmudgeonly Duffy may be a bit of a prankster, his one fervent hope is that he can continue his days at Centennial and not be sent to a nearby roach-infested nursing home. Duffy and his rigid, stuffy roommate, Carl, are close friends who enjoy their daily banter, though each harbors some deep, crushing secrets. When a scantily clad young woman with a black eye falls through their bedroom window, the stunned, alarmed roommates at first mistake her for a thief. But it's Carl's granddaughter Josie, on the run from a bad boyfriend. What transpires is a terrific madcap, covert caper involving plenty of honorable high jinks that will endear Centennial's ragtag golden-agers to readers. The antics are enhanced by Southern vernacular and slang in this warm, life-affirming tale that highlights the importance of finding family where you can. VERDICT Fans of Kathleen Rooney's Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Rachel Joyce's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry will appreciate this delightful romp. Fossey's debut is destined to become a book club favorite.--Andrea Tarr, Corona P.L., CAPublishers Weekly Review
In Fossey's delightful debut, an elderly man finds a new lease on life after a surprise visit from his nursing home roommate's granddaughter. Duffy Sinclair is leading a placid life in Everton, Tex., when Josie, his roommate Carl Upton's previously unmentioned granddaughter, bursts into their room through a window, drunk and looking for a place to crash. Reeling from the recent death of her mother--Carl's love child--and running from her abusive live-in boyfriend, Josie, an alcoholic, has nowhere else to go. The two men's efforts to keep Josie's presence in their room on the down low (and keep Josie's abusive ex at bay) make for a sparkling, well-plotted treat. Duffy, a recovering alcoholic, grows invested in Josie's well-being along with his own, while Carl mourns his stillborn son. The avaricious owner of the nursing home plays the villain, overcharging guests for repairs and sending those with signs of infirmity to a far grimmer home, while a sympathetic chef looks out for Duffy, Carl, and Josie. Fossey's portrayal of Josie's alcohol addiction and her efforts to recover draw sympathy, along with Duffy's hard-won, sometimes white-knuckle sobriety. A completely logical yet somehow unexpected ending will leave readers smiling--and looking forward to Fossey's next effort. (Apr.)Booklist Review
At the Centennial assisted living home, 80-year-old Duffy and his roommate, Carl, live a quiet life and try to avoid the wrath of administrator Sharon, who constantly threatens to send any wayward residents to the local nursing home, considered by all to be the end of the line. When Carl's granddaughter Josie climbs through their bedroom window one evening, Duffy and Carl find themselves facing the trouble they so desperately tried to avoid. Arriving with a black eye and smelling of booze, Josie is the granddaughter Carl never knew he had, and he just wants to protect her. Duffy soon gets involved and quickly finds himself breaking all the rules, trading his peaceful life for the chance to help a struggling girl find her feet. Fossey's debut is a warm and deeply funny look at the lives of two seniors who learn it is never too late to grow old with style. Filled with rich, pitch-perfect dialogue, this is a sweet story of people finding meaning and creating family in the places they least expected.Kirkus Book Review
In Fossey's debut, a grumpy assisted living resident realizes his life still has surprises in store. Duffy Sinclair, 88, knows he didn't make the most of his life. He spent years of it as an alcoholic, but in his sober old age he's finally found a home at Centennial, an assisted living facility. He has a best friend--his roommate, Carl, who shares everything with him. He has crushes and nemeses and playful banter with the staff members. Things are perfect--except that Centennial's new owner will use any excuse to kick residents out so she can rent their rooms for more money, leaving them no option but a poorly run nursing home. Duffy tries to be on his best behavior and stay in line--but then a young woman tumbles through his window. It turns out she's Carl's granddaughter--one Duffy never knew he had. She has a black eye, an alcohol problem, and nowhere to stay--and Carl thinks she should camp out in their room. Duffy knows that getting caught hiding an alcoholic 20-something would earn him an immediate one-way ticket out of Centennial, and at first he tells Carl and Josie no way. But as he gets to know Josie and see the kind of pain he knows all too well, Duffy realizes he might finally have a chance to make up for all those wasted years. Duffy is cantankerous, gruff, and occasionally unkind, but his head is always an entertaining place to be. It's clear that he cares deeply about his friends and fellow Centennial residents, and it's impossible not to root for him. Fossey manages to depict the struggles of the elderly, whose concerns aren't often examined in fiction, in a way that's both respectful and entertaining. A moving, funny, and ultimately hopeful look at what makes life meaningful. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.Author notes provided by Syndetics
Brooke Fossey was once an aerospace engineer with a secret clearance before she traded it all in for motherhood and writing. She's a past president and an honorary lifetime member of DFW Writers Workshop. Her work can be found in numerous publications, including Ruminate Magazine and SmokeLong Quarterly . When she's not writing, you can find her in Dallas, Texas with her husband, four kids, and their dog Rufus. She still occasionally does math.There are no comments on this title.