Sipsworth

A sweet story. Fans of uplifting literature, particularly featuring older people, will savor this one.

I myself enjoyed the story of Helen and the mouse. There was a sweetness to their relationship, and her transformation and the love she had for Sipsworth felt genuine. It was when other characters became more and more frequent that my interest waned. I understood why they were included, and they do complete the picture of Helen coming alive again, but many of their actions are beyond the scope of what's believable and they were often cartoonish in their antics.

An easy read that I personally thought was better in the first half. Those willing to suspend disbelief and trust that humans are consistently only capable of charitable, selfless actions will likely love this novel through the end.

“Sipsworth” gives the reader just that. We first meet Helen when she returns to her hometown after decades in Australia. Each day is a set routine centered around tv and radio programs or mealtimes. Other than limited interactions at the grocery store, Helen's life is lonely. The first few chapters are an accurate depiction of the daily lives of many elderly people, which seems to have put some readers off the book.

After finding a mouse nesting near a discarded toy almost identical to one her son played with, Helen begins opening her heart back up to the world and life after being so close to turning her back on both. She's able to reexamine happy and sad moments from her life and realize that there is something to look forward to. Having been a spinster cat lady for many years, I can understand the positive impact of a pet.

In the acknowledgements, the author mentions that he wrote the story while at a hospital in London. While no mice came to stay during his visit, it's pretty interesting to imagine Van Booy being inspired by an older staff member and their possible life outside the hospital.