Thank you @berkleypub for my gifted copy of “The Big Finish” by Brooke Fossey! (pub date 4/14)
One of Goodreads Top 25 Feel-Good and Escapist Books to Read in Quarantine as seen in USA Today
“[A] funny, winning debut.”—People
“Delightfully quirky and endearing…an absolute pleasure to read!”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin
Meet Duffy, an old curmudgeon who lives in an assisted living home.
Meet Josie, a desperate young woman who climbs through his window.
Together, they’re going to learn it’s never too late—or too early—to change your ways.
For Duffy Sinclair, life boils down to one simple thing: maintaining his residence at the idyllic Centennial Assisted Living. Without it, he’s destined for the roach-infested nursing home down the road—and after wasting the first eighty-eight years of his life, he refuses to waste away for the rest. So, he keeps his shenanigans to the bare minimum with the help of his straight-laced best friend and roommate, Carl Upton.
But when Carl’s granddaughter Josie climbs through their bedroom window with booze on her breath and a black eye, Duffy’s faced with trouble that’s sticking around and hard to hide—from Centennial’s management and Josie’s toxic boyfriend. Before he knows it, he’s running a covert operation that includes hitchhiking and barhopping.
He might as well write himself a one-way ticket to the nursing home…or the morgue. Yet Duffy’s all in. Because thanks to an unlikely friendship that becomes fast family—his life doesn’t boil down the same anymore. Not when he finally has a chance to leave a legacy.
In a funny, insightful, and life-affirming debut, Brooke Fossey delivers an unflinching look at growing old, living large, and loving big, as told by a wise-cracking man who didn’t see any of it coming.
My review: What a wonderful, uplifting debut novel! The cover alone brings a smile to my face! This is a perfect summer read that is light-hearted, feel good, & helps you escape all of the 2020 chaos & isolation.
“The Big Finish” is a moving, heartfelt, uplifting novel about unlikely friendship, second chances, self-discovery, & being adventurous at any age. A super cute book that also gave me some “A Man Called Ove” vibes (one of my all-time faves!). This book gave me so many feels & overall, just warmed my heart!
More praise for “The Big Finish“
“Warm, funny, and tender, The Big Finish is a journey of discovery and second chances you won’t want to end.”–J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of The Lager Queen of Minnesota
“The Big Finish is a blast; at turns madcap, hilarious and touching. With the unlikely coupling of Duffy and Josie, Fossey has created an unforgettable duo that will win your heart and keep you laughing from start to finish.”–Jonathan Evison, New York Times bestselling author of Lawn Boy
“The Big Finish is a big-hearted, hugely entertaining novel about the most unlikely people being hijacked by second chances. I love novels about makeshift families, and this one’s a doozy.”–Monica Wood, Author of The One-In-A-Million Boy
“The Big Finish is a beautiful book full of humor, wisdom, and heartbreak. This story of friendship and kinship is a heartwarming reminder that we’re never too young for a fresh start or too old for a big finish.”–Melissa DeCarlo, Author of The Art of Crash Landing
“Funny and tender, a wonderful novel about redemption, friendship, and showing up for the people you love. Heart-warming and a real hoot!”–Annie Hartnett, Author of Rabbit Cake
“Big-hearted, life-affirming, and page-turning, The Big Finish is everything a novel should be and more. Brooke Fossey is a delightful new voice in fiction.”–Jamie Brenner, National bestselling author of The Forever Summer
“The Big Finish is a piercing, witty, and wholly original read.”–Kimmery Martin, author of The Antidote for Everything
“Filled with humor, heart and hilarious antics, this uplifting tale…is a series of joyful high jinks, family life lessons and second chances.”—Woman’s World
“Fossey’s debut is a warm and deeply funny look at the lives of two seniors who learn it is never too late to grow old with style. Filled with rich, pitch-perfect dialogue, this is a sweet story of people finding meaning and creating family in the places they least expected.”–Booklist
“Fossey manages to depict the struggles of the elderly, whose concerns aren’t often examined in fiction, in a way that’s both respectful and entertaining. A moving, funny, and ultimately hopeful look at what makes life meaningful.”–Kirkus“[A] delightful debut…. A completely logical yet somehow unexpected ending will leave readers smiling—and looking forward to Fossey’s next effort.”–Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)
“Fossey delivers a funny, adventurous novel about second chances, redemption and how, just when it might seem as though life is winding down, it’s actually just getting started.”–Shelf Awareness
“Most of all, they bring the foolishness and the wisdom of their humanity, the decades-long experience that makes them exactly who they always have been. Only now, in the autumnal twilight of their years, they are just a little more so, as Fossey shows us in a way that both warms and breaks our hearts.”—Dallas Morning News
“A charming, voice-driven, poignant novel narrated by a spry old codger named Duffy Sinclair…There are hijinks, mystery and adventure, but the book has just enough angst and trouble…to give it a little edge.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Brooke Fossey was once an aerospace engineer with a secret clearance before she traded it all in for motherhood and writing. She’s a past president and an honorary lifetime member of DFW Writers’ Workshop. Her work can be found in numerous publications, including Ruminate Magazine and SmokeLong Quarterly. Her debut novel, THE BIG FINISH, is forthcoming in 2020 from Penguin/Berkley (US), and Piper/Pendo (DE). When she’s not writing, you can find her in Dallas, Texas with her husband, four kids, and their dog Rufus. She still occasionally does math.
*Mom Loves Reading* 