The Road to Tender Hearts opens in a nursing home, where the resident cat can predict who will be next to die. Turns out no one wants to cuddle with a cat who may be the grim reaper. After getting kicked out, the cat makes his way through Pond View, Massachusetts, and leads us to PJ Halliday, a former mailman, a drunk, and a lottery winner whose generous spirit and cheerful manner have endeared him to the townsfolk. He’s even on good terms with his ex-wife and her new beau. He’s on not-so-good terms with his daughter, but when he unexpectedly becomes guardian to two young kids, she agrees to accompany him, and the kids, and the cat across the country on a road trip to the Tender Hearts Retirement Home, where PJ plans to surprise his recently widowed high school crush.
I found this book laugh out loud funny, mostly thanks to the very precocious kids, Luna and Ollie. There is also a lot of death and heavy themes, but the story never loses its heart and will have you rooting for each of these characters throughout the book.
From a starred review at Kirkus: “A beautiful reminder that the world is full of tragedy, but life-changing joy and connection might be just around the corner.”
For fans of the film Little Miss Sunshine or Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. Available as a book, eBook or eAudio.
