This book is very close to my heart. While Carpenter Wanted was a project I undertook in memory of my dad, this one is a sneaky tribute to my mother, who died in 2019 at the very good age of 88.
More than that, it's about mothers and daughters, and how dementia steals the people we love, and emigration and finding a space for yourself in a new land. All that wrapped up in a story that - hopefully - isn't nearly as dark as that might make it sound, and might even be considered fun. There's a ghost, after all, who is not so much spooky as grumpy, and a cat who plays a small but pivotal role.
There's Izzy, the main character, who is almost 12 and was sent to live with her aunt and grandmother in the pandemic summer of 2020, who draws paper dolls to stop her life's walls from crumbling. There's her new friend Win, who wears a pink sunhat one day and a black trucker cap the next, and has the best ideas about how to fix problems. And a missing ring and an attic full of memories and a possibly wicked godmother and a mystery to solve.
It's on sale now - and don't forget to leave me an Amazon review if you enjoy it!
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