Heartfelt ... The exceptionally written, touching connection between these two characters is, by itself, worth picking up the novel ... Larkin builds a robust picture of Freya’s life, her family, and a small American town home to a circus elephant.
Charming ... While the storytelling is simplistic—Steena, Charlie, and the sisters’ late mother are dastardly, while those on Freya and Aubrey’s side are correspondingly good-hearted—Larkin explores with tenderness and nuance the strong yet complicated relationship between her protagonists, and successfully uses the details of home repair as a metaphor for the rebuilding of Freya’s and Aubrey’s lives. It’s a cozy tale of new beginnings.
