Age is just a number.

Synopsis

Is it ever too late to change…

After a health scare, 77 year-old spinster Barbara goes to convalesce in the sleepy Somerset village of Winsleigh Green with her sister Pauline, who is now a widow. The sisters are like chalk and cheese – Barbara, outspoken and aloof and Pauline, good natured and homely – so it’s not long before the tension starts to rise.

But when Pauline accidentally knocks down a vagrant who goes by the name of Bisto Mulligan, the ladies find themselves with another houseguest. As he recovers, it becomes apparent that Bisto is not who he first seemed, and as the sisters get to know the kind and courageous man he really is, it’s clear Bisto has the potential to change both of their lives.

As the spring turns to summer, and Winsleigh Green comes to life, can the three friends make the changes they need to, to embrace fresh starts, new loves, new lives and new horizons. Or do old habits die too hard?

Funny, joyful and with a spring in its step that reminds you to live every day like it’s your last. Judy Leigh has once again written the perfect feel-good novel for all fans of Dawn French, Dee MacDonald and Cathy Hopkins.

My review

Pauline and Barbara are sisters, but couldn’t be more different from each other. Pauline sees the good in everyone, and helps out wherever she can. She makes easily friends and is lived by the people in her village.

Barbara is more reserved and suspicious. She doens’t like gossip and doesn’t understand the charm of a small village.

So when Barbare goes to stay a while at Pauline’s it’s obvious that the tension will rise very quickly.

And when Pauline knocks down Bisto Mulligan, the ball starts rolling…

This is a very charming story!

From the very start I felt that Pauline was like a sweet old grandmother, wanting to take care of everything and every one. She is a real kind person, having no prejudice even if someone’s look would make you think the worse.

The way she treated Bisto, is an example for many of us. How easy would it be to just turn around and make sure you’d have nothing to do with him? But Pauline opens her home to him, showing how amazing she is.

Barbara was initially someone I didn’t really liked… She looks down on people of the village, doesn’t want anything to do with them. And even when people try to involve her, she stays out of the way.

But slowly, the village grows to her. She sees the beauty of a community, how everyone is looking after each other. And she starts to be part of the community too.

The real beauty and charm of the story is how three totally different people spend the summer together. They get to know each other better and start to appreciate each other. Barbara and Pauline are becoming real sisters, spending time together, and getting to know each other for real.

And Bisto is always around to help, and giving his advice. And Bisto was a real surprise, because behind the initial vision of a wanderer, he’s been through a lot.

Yet he manages to be right there with his knowledge at exact the right times.

This book surprised me, as it turned out to be more than expected. It shows a story about sisterhood, kindness, growth, and how people can change by just beng surrounded by the rught kind of people.

I had several laughs, as Bisto is a hidden gem, had to go through sweet moments and enjoyed spending time in this village that opened its heart for two strangers.

And I know it’s a cliché, but it’s never too late for love, and you’ll find it at the most unexpected places!