St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets A novel

Noblin (The Sisters Hemingway, 2019) returns with a charming and bittersweet tale of a mother and daughter reunited too late. Although she's thirty-six, Maeve Stephens feels as if her life hasn't yet begun. She was a successful sports journalist until the paper closed; she was in a cool relationship with a baseball player until he cheated on her publicly and the video went viral. When Maeve learns that her biological mother, Annabelle, has passed away, she retreats to the rural Washington town of Timber Creek, where Annabelle was semi-famous. Flashbacks to the eighties provide Annabelle's perspective on the past. As she becomes the town's new curiosity and falls for a sexy woodsman author Maeve discovers the person her mother once was while finding the person she is now. Noblin's books are known for their connection to pets, and the animals are present here, although they're not the focus. Despite some heavy subject matter, primarily regarding domestic violence, the story is funny and light. Readers will bond with Maeve and her sweet disposition.--Cari Dubiel Copyright 2019 Booklist