ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- George is a quietly unhappy man whose beloved wife died three years previously. He fills his day in with unvarying routines, and his main contacts are his bossy sister Shirl and his laconic mate Redgum. One day he uncharacteristically eats breakfast in a café, shops earlier than he would and takes a short cut he usually avoids - and this is the turning point of his life. Attacked by young thugs, saved by a slovenly-looking but feisty girl, George thanks her by telling her where he lives and a tacit offer of help if she ever needs it. Which she promptly takes advantage of, by leaving her young daughter in his care on occasion. Then one day, she leaves Aurora-Jane (Rory) to go off with her boyfriend, and George finds himself becoming Rory's primary caregiver. At first the old man and the young kid have a begrudging relationship, but with time, they form a family of two. But when Rory's mother decides that she wants Rory back, George takes matters into his own hands… What might have been a saccharine old-grump-finds-hope-through-a-young-person novel is lifted by the believability and vulnerability of the characters, and how their flawed actions are driven by the desire to only do the right thing by their own lights. A very satisfying read. Lindy
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Mercy Street tells the heartwarming story of curmudgeonly old widowed pensioner, George - who for the most part lives in a world of memories of his dead wife, Pen, and dreams of the family they could have had - and Rory, the very real 'grubby little brat' who is dumped on him, much to his displeasure, by her unreliable mother, Angie. In his own inept way, George valiantly tries to rise to the challenge of caring for the tear-sodden, sullen little girl, but it's only when his bossy sister Shirl, his old mate Redgum, and his neighbors, the Nguyens, get involved, that gradually, little by little, an accidental family of sorts takes shape. But then, years later, Angie reappears, and wants her daughter back. George, determined not to lose Rory, hatches an audacious plan and they take to the road...
By:
Tess Evans Imprint: Harper Collins Country of Publication: Australia Dimensions:
Height: 205mm,
Width: 135mm,
Spine: 27mm
Weight: 423g ISBN:9781460751046 ISBN 10: 1460751043 Pages: 304 Publication Date:14 December 2015 Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format:Paperback Publisher's Status: Active
