Many thanks to publisher Bookouture for my spot on this Blog Tour.
A beautiful heart-warming story that absolutely melted my heart. In these moments of an insecure world, I needed a story just like this. It was life-affirming and endearing. A friendship between a 10-year-old Billy and 62-year-old Elsie positively wrapped their strings around my heart.
Billy has moved next doors. His mother needed a babysitter and Elsie offered. Working in the garden, a tin was found buried which held the secrets of Elsie’s past. A map of town long forgotten made the 2 unlikely best friends to travel to the past in their present while forging their future.
My second book by author Ruby Hummingbird, the story squeezed my heart, filling it with warmth as people from 2 different generations formed a bond. Both of them were kids at different moments. Emotions rushed through me as I saw them opening the windows of their life and sharing their insecurities.
Humor interspersed the prose with their antics, my throat was choked up at times. It was like a poetry in friendship, unfurling its lines and wrapping the words around me. Ruby was a wonderful writer who caused those sweet feelings to course around me.
A stunning prose, vivid characters, real emotions made this a captivating read. Truly needed to read this to forget my stress.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.
All my reviews can be read here
Just because you feel ordinary doesn’t mean you aren’t extraordinary to someone else.
Sixty-two-year-old Elsie knows what she likes. Custard creams at four o’clock, jigsaw puzzles with a thousand pieces, her ivy-covered, lavender-scented garden.
Ten-year-old Billy would rather spend his Saturdays kicking a ball, or watching TV, or anything really, other than being babysat by his grumpy neighbour Elsie and being force fed custard creams.
If it was up to them, they’d have nothing to do with each other. Unfortunately, you can’t choose who you live next door to.
But there is always more to people than meets the eye…
Elsie doesn’t know that Billy’s afraid to go to school now, or why his mother woke him up in the middle of the night with an urgent shake, bags already packed, ready to flee their home.
Billy doesn’t know that the rusting red tin he finds buried in Elsie’s treasured garden is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode her carefully organised life. And that when he digs it up, he is unearthing a secret that has lain dormant for twenty-eight years…
Publication Date: April 2020
6 Responses
I’m loving these sweet, pretty books you’ve been posting. I especially love that they are making you happy in the middle of all this uncertainty. 🙂
Sounds very amazing for caliming down. Far away from shootings and all other uncertainties of life. No generational conflict in sight. That is a good thing. Put it on my TBR. Thank you for the lovely review, Shalinii.
I am in the middle of your last reviews. Hope you are well, and enjoy life, far away from the virus. Best wishes, Michael
This book sounds divine, as was your delightful review.
Thank you so much ❤️ friendship made it warm
This sounds like an absolutely beautiful story Shalini. Wonderful review. I will be checking this one out for sure.
Ah I read this onw when I was slightly down and it helped me cheer up. Friendships can be anywhere at any age. Great concept. I have liked the earlier book of this author too