Hallie Palmer has had her share of bad luck, but more times than not, she manages to rise to the occasion and remain intact. When her Dad suddenly dies and her mother winds up needing some mental help to cope with his passing, Hallie finds herself rushing home from college to become the primary caregiver to her brood of siblings. From diapers to mayhem, Hallie walks the tightrope as she tries to balance motherhood and the family's finances without losing their home or the children to foster care.
As if things weren't bad enough, Hallie's personal life is quickly spiraling out of control. As she watches her friends continue to pursue their dreams, she feels as if she has sacrificed her own well-being in exchange for familial duty. With nowhere else to turn, she relies on some old friends, Bernard and Gil, to help her pull herself up by her bootstraps and become the young woman she knows she can be. Within a blink of an eye, Hallie conjures up some good times and even a little unexpected romance that sends her well on her way to happiness.
THE BIG SHUFFLE is the highly anticipated third book in Laura Pedersen's Hallie Palmer series. Like an old shoe, the reader finds comfort in the reoccurring characters and the amusing anecdotes that make the book seem like a welcomed, old friend. Light, heart-warming, and well- written. THE BIG SHUFFLE is the perfect fall read.
βWeβre approaching Cat in the Hat level chaos and no oneβs
even had breakfast yet.βWhen
the death of her father leaves her mother bereft and
incapacitated,
card shark Hallie Palmer returns home from college to raise
Hallieβs
eight younger siblings. Hallieβs older brother has a
scholarship and a
sensible majorβwhich translates to free tuition and
desperately needed
future income for the family. So itβs up to Hallie to deal
herself in
as head of the chaotic household. But even after the
invasion
of those well-meaning, casserole-carrying purveyors of
comfort the
local church ladies, Hallieβs in a downward spiral. Thank
goodness for
old friends like Bernard and Gil, now proud parents, who
keep Hallie
afloat with good humor, brilliant organizational skills, and
Judy
Garlandβs most quotable quotesβnot that life is entirely
peaceful now
that Bernardβs wise, willful, and delightfully outrageous
mother,
Olivia, is back from Europe with a big (and shockingly
young) surprise.
Through it all, Hallie discovers that life can
indeed turn on a
dime, and that every coin has two sides plus an edge. Just
because
beginnerβs luck doesnβt always last forever doesnβt mean
youβre out of
the game.
No excerpt available.
© 2003-2026