Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

"Indelible escapades...heartfelt."--New York Times, "These Cozy Fall Books Feel Like a Hug"

"Beautiful and enchanting"--Washington Post

Sometimes a second chance comes in the most unexpected way....

Following the loss of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss. She retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and habit: "Each day was an impersonation of the one before with only a slight shuffle--as though even for death there is a queue."

Then, one cold winter night, a chance encounter with a mouse sets Helen on a surprising journey. Over the course of two weeks in a small English town, this reclusive widow discovers an unexpected reason to live.

Sipsworth is a reminder that there is always reason for hope. No matter what we have planned for ourselves, sometimes life has plans of its own. With profound compassion, Simon Van Booy illuminates not only a deep friendship forged between two lonely creatures, but the reverberations of goodness that ripple out from that unique bond.

Simon Van Booy is the author of two novels and two collections of short stories, including the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award-winning The Hidden Lives of Persons in Love and Love Starts in Winter. He has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, and the BBC, and is the editor of three philosophy books. His work has been published in fourteen different languages. With his wife and daughter, he lives in Brooklyn.