Seven perfect things : a novel /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A heart-stirring novel about the joy that comes from finding love in unexpected places by the New York Times and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author.

Thirteen-year-old Abby Hubble lives in an unhappy home in the Sierra Nevada foothills where her father makes life miserable for her and her mother, Mary. One day Abby witnesses a man dump a litter of puppies into the nearby river. Diving in to rescue all seven, she knows she won't be able to bring them home. Afraid for their fate at the pound, she takes them to an abandoned cabin, where all she can offer is a promise that she'll be back the next day.

To grieving widower Elliot Colvin, life has lost meaning. Looking for solace, he retreats to the hunting cabin he last visited years ago, before his wife's illness. What he discovers is not at all what he expected: seven puppies and one determined girl with an indomitable heart.

As Abby and Elliot's friendship deepens, Abby imagines how much better her life--and the puppies' lives--would be if her mother were married to Elliot instead of her father. But when Abby's father moves the family hundreds of miles away, Abby and her mother must decide how long they're willing to defer happiness.

Seven Perfect Things is a story about joy, where to find it, how to know it when you see it, and the courage it takes to hang on to it once you have it.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

When 13-year-old Abby rescues a litter of seven puppies, her only focus is on keeping them safe and sound. Safety is a precious resource for Abby and her mother, living in a loveless home with Abby's abusive and belittling father. Abby rescued the puppies to help the local animal shelter and keeps them in an abandoned cabin nearby. Between secret trips to the cabin, scraping money together to keep the dogs fed, and finding enough time for walks and cleaning, Abby realizes she's in over her head. When the abandoned cabin turns out not to be abandoned, after all, she finds an unlikely ally in Elliot, a recent widower. Blending Abby's coming-of-age story, her mother's crumbling marriage, and Elliot's grief, Seven Perfect Things is multilayered and heartwarming. Hyde doesn't shy away from the immense frustrations facing a family under financial, emotional, and verbal constraints. Fans of Mary Alice Monroe's The Summer Guests (2019), Annie England Noblin's Sit! Stay! Speak! (2015), and Hyde's previous work will understand Abby's realization that escaping isn't always a choice--sometimes, it's an imperative.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Catherine Ryan Hyde lives in Cambria, California.