Ruby Hummingbird

Confession: I am always on my guard when a publisher description reads "charming book" or "feel-good book of the year" because, darn it, it had better live up to expectations. In this case, The Wish List of Albie Young (or The Wish List, as it's named elsewhere), did just that.

This was a sweet, poignant, and heartwarming story. 70-year-old Marie's life is so small and measured, each day having a simple task to tick off, but the highlight of the week was her coffee and cake date with Albie Young. He is the one bright spot in her life; she is very sweet on him but never lets him know.

She is marking time and not really living, outside of time with Albie. The news of Albie's death and what she subsequently learns of his life turns her upside down and sends her further within herself. A sweet teen pushes her into action where she discovers Albie's wish list. She takes up his list, the process of completing it for him, finds joy and purpose again, as well as learning so much more about the gentle man she loved.

The story is a bit confusing at the start, as it is interspersed with flashbacks that let us know there is much more going on with Marie. These reveal a very different Marie - a woman who is strong, brave, full of life, and (eventually) how she became this person who lives her life by ticking a list of her own.

This is very much a character-driven story, and Hummingbird paints us a very layered picture of Marie, albeit it, in very small doses. There is also a cast of interesting characters that she engages with along the way, many of them on a journey of their own. We get to follow her journey back to herself, where she battles regrets of things not done, opportunities lost, and all she gave up. Watching her world open up made my heart swell.

Fans of Cecelia Ahern will delight in this book, and readers who enjoyed THE STORIED LIFE OF A.K. FIKRY will love this book as well.… (más)

Love, loss and grief juxtaposed with friendship and thoughtfulness. I knew the type of story that would be told, and it was just what I wanted to read. It's a feel-good novel that takes a while to get to the feel-good part, but eventually all works out (no spoiler as this is stated in the title).

Seventy-year-old Maria still blames herself for her daughter's death 36 years earlier. She lives a lonely and predictable life in Brighton, a small seaside town in England. She was not particularly likeable, without friends or any direction to her life. For reasons that are never really explained, charming older man Albie Young begins to meet Maria every Thursday at a little tea shop and their friendship grows. When Albie misses a couple of their Thursdays together and Maria discovers why, she also learns about Albie's wish list.

Now we are introduced to a variety of people that Albie befriended and Maria continues developing the relationships based on Albie's wish list. This is where the feel-good part comes in, with some bumps along the way which makes the novel interesting and not altogether predictable.

"It's wonderful to do something small that makes a difference to someone else," Maria tells a young mother just before the novel ends. She finally recognizes this "do unto others" philosophy! She also sees how her life has expanded and she now has real friends who care about her - and she cares about them. By fulfilling Albie's wish list and adding to it with her own thoughtful generosity, Maria has found the key to happiness.… (más)

What a wonderful book.

Elsie Maple spends her days alone reminiscing about her past, talking to her mother who has long since departed the scene. Elsie has spent most of her life alone, but you will learn all about that. She is a very precise person, adverse to change, adverse to many things.

Billy Greenwood has been ripped from his home with no explanation except for the one that is lurking in the back of his mind and the bottom of his stomach. He is shunned at his new school, worse, terrorized by the school bully as the “new kid”. Billy’s mum, Samantha is trying her best to pull it all together and keep herself and Billy safe and is having a difficult time.

Bottom line – Samantha must work whatever shifts she is given and won’t leave Billy alone at home after school. Elsie who lives just next door has shocked herself by offering to help. So Billy finds himself “basically wearing a pink flowered dress (a girl’s apron thing), bad hair, the taste of custard creams on his tongue (and he really doesn’t like custard creams), no friends in the world, hanging out with an old lady in a dark, narrow corridor full of old boots.” And then Elsie opens the back door and there is heaven and then hell to be paid.

There is just so much great stuff going on in this book and so much to be gained by reading it. The beautiful written words, funny and not so funny situations and predicaments. Love and loss and love and bullying and caring and taking up for the underdog and I loved this book. Really loved this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me this treasure.… (más)

A four year friendship. A pot of tea and a piece of marble cake to be shared every Thursday. All week Maria looked forward to sharing that with Albie Young. “Everything hurts less on Thursdays.” Imagine losing that one thing that brought some measure of joy into your life even if was only for a few hours each week. Imaging living a small life, believing you deserve nothing more and perhaps not even that. Imagine losing that little bit as well. Imagine finding the inner strength to beat back your grief and sorrow and to try to move forward all the while you struggle to get up, get out of bed and find some value in each day.

This is a lovely little story about a man we never meet who has made a wish list that is all about playing it forward. It is a lesson in taking the time to observe, listen and act on your best instincts. It is a lesson about the gratification that can be found by providing some small comfort for your fellow man without looking for recompense. It is a wonderful piece of writing reminiscent of writers such as Elizabeth Berg.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookoutre for a copy.… (más)