Annie Hartnett Book order

A darkly comic and warm-hearted novel about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crush—bringing together his adult daughter, two orphaned kids, and a cat who can predict death—from the beloved author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely AnimalsAt sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left—he’s had three heart attacks already. But when PJ reads an obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he’s going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back. Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also figures he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter, adrift in her 20s, to come along to babysit. And there’s one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home. This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for—a second shot at love and parenting—but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It’s very possible his heart can’t take it.

A lost young woman returns to small-town New Hampshire under unusual circumstances in this unique tale of life, death, and the afterlife. The Starlings reside in Everton, a town marked by Corbin Park and Maple Street Cemetery, and the legend of Emma Starling's supposed healing hands. However, Emma has struggled to harness her abilities, especially since her childhood friend Crystal vanished due to addiction, a case largely ignored by authorities. Now, Emma returns to care for her dying father, Clive Sterling, who has been searching for Crystal and has recently begun seeing ghosts, including a long-dead naturalist tied to the town's history. The residents of Maple Street hope Emma will fulfill her potential and cure her father, but she's grappling with her own challenges after being expelled from medical school. Taking a job as a substitute teacher, Emma tries to navigate her responsibilities while her father's health declines. Though she doesn't aspire to be a hero, her actions inadvertently spark the miracle the town desperately needs. Set against the backdrop of a community facing an opioid crisis, this story explores familial expectations, flawed friendships, and the hope of reclaiming what seems lost.