Simon Van Booy

4.5⭐

“Memory has never come to her like this in the physical world. It has always been something weightless⁠—strong enough to blow the day off course, but not something she can reach for and hold on to.”

Widowed and having lost her adult son to a tragic accident years ago, eighty-three-year-old Helen Cartwright, had moved back to Westminster Crescent, after sixty years in Australia, to quietly live out the rest of her life. Helen is content in her solitude, surrounded by her memories and her daily life built around a set routine with minimal social interaction. Despite having lived in Westminster Crescent before her marriage, she has no friends or acquaintances with whom she could spend time even if she were so inclined and isn’t motivated to forge new connections.

“It wasn’t easy coming back after so long. Everything had been going on without her as if she’d never existed.”

Helen’s life changes when she encounters a mouse in a discarded heap of trash – a mouse she begins to care about and names Sipsworth. We follow Helen over the course of a little over a week as she is inspired to effect positive changes in her life in her efforts to take care of her new friend.

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy is a charming story about friendship, community, second chances and how life can surprise you in the best possible ways. Helen is an interesting protagonist and is portrayed as an intelligent, inquisitive and compassionate person. I liked that we did not have to rely solely on Helen’s memories to know her backstory but some interesting facts about her life are also shared with a few surprising revelations as the narrative progresses in the present timeline. The author addresses sensitive themes such as aging, loneliness and grief with wisdom and compassion. The narrative is relatively slow-paced, which suits the nature of the story and I thought the supporting characters were well thought out. While I can’t say I’m personally fond of mice (unless it’s an animated character named Mickey), there is no doubt about the profound positive impact that our furry friends have on our lives and the author captures this sentiment beautifully in this story.

I paired my reading with the audiobook, which made for an engaging immersion reading experience. Christine Rendel’s heartfelt audio narration breathes life into this beautiful story and the characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and didn’t want it to end. A short yet impactful read, this heartwarming story left me with a lump in my throat and a smile on my face. This is my first time reading Simon Van Booy and it surely won’t be my last.

Many thanks to David R. Godine for the digital review copy via Edelweiss+ and HighBridge Audio for the ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.… (more)

Beautiful, tender family saga of several decades, covering several generations of a family from before the second world war until the 2000's. The novel also tells of their friends and others who play a big part in their lives and shaping who they are. Exquisitely written, focusing mostly on Carol, sold as a teenager to a man her father lost to in a card game, and her grandson, Samuel, who struggles to find himself. Carol runs away and that begins her story. They inhabit alternating chapters, interspersed with the lives of those who influence them in some way. Heartwarming but sometimes heart wrenching.… (more)