From the author of A Little Hopeâa Read with Jenna Bonus Pickâcomes another âheartwarming, character-drivenâ (Booklist) life-affirming novel about three individuals whose lives intersect in unforeseen ways.
Set in a close-knit suburb in the grip of winter, A Quiet Life follows three people grappling with loss and finding a tender wisdom in their grief.
Chuck Ayers used to look forward to nothing so much as his annual trip to Hilton Head with his wife, Catâthat yearly taste of relaxation theyâd become accustomed to after a lifetime of working and raising two children. Now, just months after Catâs death, Chuck finds that he canât let go of her belongingsâher favorite towel, the sketchbooks in her desk drawerâas he struggles to pack for a trip he canât imagine taking without her.
Ella Burke delivers morning newspapers and works at a bridal shop to fill her days while she anxiously awaits newsâany piece of informationâabout her missing daughter. Ella adjusts to life in a new apartment and answers every call on her phone, hoping her daughter will reach out.
After the sudden death of her father, Kirsten Bonato set aside her veterinary school aspirations, finding comfort in the steady routine of working at an animal shelter. But as time passes, old dreams and new romantic interests begin to surfaceâand Kirsten finds herself at another crossroads.
In this beautiful and profoundly moving novel, three parallel narratives converge in poignant and unexpected ways, as each character bravely presses onward, trying to recover something they have lost. Emotionally riveting and infused with hope, âthe soothing tone and warm worldview of this grown-up bedtime story will be good for what ails youâ (Kirkus Reviews).