Set in the off-beat Southern town of
Willow Hill, North
Carolina, Susan Schild’s moving and witty novel tells of one
woman who loses everything—and finds more than she ever
expected.
At thirty-eight, Linny Taylor is
suddenly living a life she thought only happened to other,
more careless people. Widowed for the second time, and
broke, thanks to her cheating late husband, Linny has no
house, no job, and no options except to go back home. There,
in a trailer as run down as her self-esteem, Linny makes a
list of things that might bring happiness. A porch swing. A
job that nourishes her heart as well as her bank balance.
Maybe even a date or two.
At first, every goal seems
beyond reach. But it’s hard for Linny to stay in the
doldrums when a stray puppy is coercing her out of her
shell—right into the path of the town’s kind, compassionate
vet. The quirky town is filled with friends and family,
including Linny’s mother, Dottie, who knows more about
heartache than her daughters ever guessed. And as Linny
contemplates each item on her list, she begins to realize
that the dreams most worth holding on to can only be
measured in the sweetness of a life lived to the
fullest…