AUTHOR: Lucy Dillon
PUBLISHING DATE: September 2, 2014
PUBLISHER: Berkley
FROM GOODREADS: Reeling from her recent divorce, Gina Bellamy suddenly finds herself figuring out how to live on her own. Determined to make a fresh start—with her beloved rescue greyhound by her side—Gina knows drastic measures are in order.
First up: throwing away all her possessions except for the one hundred things that mean the most to her. But what items are worth saving? Letters from the only man she’s ever loved? A keepsake of the father she never knew? Or a blue glass vase that perfectly captures the light?
As she lets go of the past, Gina begins to come to terms with what has happened in her life and discovers that seizing the day is sometimes the only thing to do. And when one decides to do just that...magic happens.
MY THOUGHTS:
This book is beautiful. I have lost track of how many Lucy Dillon books I have read, but every time I discover a new one, I immediately have to track it down. Many of Dillon's books center around the fictional town of Longhampton and many of the characters intertwine through the various novels. It isn't really a series, more like companion novels which are more than able to stand alone.
Gina, the main character, grew up in a dysfunctional family. She finally marries after a breakup with the love of her life and starts a dysfunctional family of her own. After renovating their new home, and Gina's cancer going into remission, Gina and husband divorce and she again has to start over. Gina comes to the conclusion she has too much stuff in her life, so she is trying to scale down to 100 important things that define her, and ends up giving many of her belongings to charity shops.
There are many lovely relationships in this book. Gina has a strained relationship with her mother, but her friendship with her best bud, Naomi, is priceless. Gina also makes new friends as she starts over, and grows to learn a lot about herself and those in her life. Along the way, Gina rescues a greyhound named Buzz, and although she is only temporarily fostering him, it quickly becomes clear to the reader that Buzz is actually rescuing Gina.
This book is beautifully written. It combines present day narrative with flashbacks which are tied to important objects Gina is discarding from her life. The ending is somewhat inconclusive, but it works with the story. I would love to see Dillon continue on with this story and eagerly anticipate any new books set in Longhampton.
RATING: 5 PAWS
PUP THOUGHTS:
I love Buzz the greyhound. I mean, come on, look at the cover, he is adorable. He was abandoned, scared and lonely and I am glad he found a good home. It was so sad that Buzz was afraid to run anymore and I am glad that with Gina's help, he was able to become a cheerful, playful dog once again. I wish all dogs would have happy endings like Buzz.
BOOKER T'S RATING: 5 PAWS (and more if Mom would let me).
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