In Sipsworth, an eighty-three-year-old woman finds a mouse in her house and one thing leads to another.

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Fiction, Quirky Characters, Community, Friendship, Second Chances, English Village

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My Summary of Sipsworth:

In the course of one week, Helen Cartwright finds a new purpose in life and makes a few new friends. Helen has returned to the small village in which she grew up to live out her remaining years. Everyone from her past has moved on. Helen is widowed and grieves the loss of her husband and grown son, and she establishes a quiet life for herself holding fast to her routines. She’s lonely but resigned. One day, she finds a mouse in her house and in the spirit of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, this discovery and her reactions change her life.

My Thoughts:

3 reasons to love Sipsworth: quirky, unique, and endearing.

Quirky and Endearing

I fall hard for quirky and unique. Fans of character-driven books will love Helen. She’s unique, well-seasoned, quirky, sensible, and determined. As we get to know her she’s also brilliant, lovable, and compassionate. Helen keeps to herself and is devoted to her routines, but she begins to care for a mouse which causes her to ask for help. An unforgettable character. You’ll be happy you met her.

Unique Premise

Thoughts of If You Give A Mouse a Cookie popped into my mind as I read this heart warming story of an eighty-three-year-old woman who finds a mouse in her house and one thing leads to another.

Maybe you’re like me and can’t image that a book about a mature character and a house mouse would be interesting and engaging. I’m here to report that you might want to give this sweet book a chance. Although I can’t say I love mice, I have bonded with other furry companions and I can understand the sentiment here. At novella length, Sipsworth might be perfect as a palate cleanser between heavier reads or as a book to pull you out of a reading slump. At the very least, it’s entertaining and unpredictable!

Themes

Thoughtful themes include supportive community, grief and loss, finding a new purpose to live, aging, furry companions, loneliness, and second chances.

Recommending Sipsworth

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie for adults.

I’m recommending Sipsworth for fans of well-crafted and poignant novellas with memorable characters. If you love the way Fredrik Backman creates multi-layered, quirky characters, give this one a try!

My Rating:  4.5  Stars (rounded up)

Meet the Author of Sipsworth, Simon Van Booy

Simon Van Booy is the award-winning and best-selling author of nine books of fiction, and three anthologies of philosophy.

He has written for the New York Times, the Financial Times, the New York Post, NPR, Poets & Writers, and the BBC. His books have been translated into many languages and optioned for film. He lives in New York with his wife and daughter. In 2013, he founded Writers for Children, a project which helps young people build confidence in their storytelling abilities through annual awards.

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QOTD:

Is this character-driven story on your TBR or have you read it?

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Happy Reading Book Friends!

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~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

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