This review is written with thanks to Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read and review Saving Missy.

Blurb:

Missy Carmichael’s life has become small.

Grieving for a family she has lost or lost touch with, she’s haunted by the echoes of her footsteps in her empty home; the sound of the radio in the dark; the tick-tick-tick of the watching clock.

Spiky and defensive, Missy knows that her loneliness is all her own fault. She deserves no more than this; not after what she’s done. But a chance encounter in the park with two very different women opens the door to something new.

Another life beckons for Missy, if only she can be brave enough to grasp the opportunity. But seventy-nine is too late for a second chance. Isn’t it?

Review:

Saving Missy is much more gentle than my usual reading material but that does not mean that I didn’t love it! Morrey’s writing is wonderful and I was able to fit into Missy’s life straight away and I was sad to leave her behind when I had finished reading.

Without doubt, the strength of this novel is in its characters. The protagonist is obviously Missy and I loved getting to know her. She may be getting older but she has some valuable life experiences and I enjoyed the sections where we go back in time to see how her past has influenced the way she lives today. Missy is not always the sweet old lady we imagine her to be and we do see glimpses of a stubborn and rude side to Missy when she says some hurtful things. Although these are not pleasant to read, they do make her a more rounded character and allow us to see her humanity which makes her easier to relate to. The supporting characters, especially Sylvie, Angela and Melanie are also written with the same depth and I immediately felt part of their lives. It would also be impossible to write a review of this novel without mentioning Bobby who is a wonderful canine character!

Morrey definitely knew how to pull at my heartstrings and I struggled not to cry through parts of this book. She explores themes such as grief and loneliness in such a sensitive way and her writing really touched me.

I do not feel like my review does the book justice, so I would suggest you meet Missy for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!

Saving Missy is available from Amazon.