The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall

Hilarious.

I mean, laugh OUT LOUD funny.  At least for the first half of this book I was really glad I was mostly sitting at my kitchen table, and not on a plane or anywhere else in public because I was giggling away.

Truth be told, I picked up this book mainly because of the title.  See, my darling grandmother was named Polly.  And she was adorable, incorrigible, a bit mischievous, and I loved her fiercely.  And of course, being the first grandchild, I was totally her favorite (sorry David, Will and Karen, but you know it is true).  Come to find out, the author based Polly on her own grandmother too!

The Polly in this story did not disappoint.  She is something else.  She is in her late 60's, has two grown children, she is a widow, and she is also the harried mother (prior to the death of her husband, that is) of a very curious 10 year old girl named Willow.  Oooops.

Willow is a good girl, but she is obsesssed with finding out who Polly was before she was a mother. Willow is raised pretty much as an only child in a non-traditional mother daughter relationship (the cover shows Polly with a falcon on her shoulder - just wait til you find out why!!  HAHAHA!!  #busted) in which Polly's term of endearment for Willow is "dummy."  And it is adorable.  Really.  Their conversations are hysterical, biting and witty.

So there I was thinking, yea, after all these heavy murder mysteries I have been reading I finally picked a light fun read that is making me laugh - this is GREAT!  But then, the plot thickens, and suddenly I found myself in a very poignant story about lives unlived, secrets kept, and the fear of loss.  Willow actually forces her stubborn mother to revisit her past and face the day and the man who changed the trajectory of her life forever, before it is too late.    Don't worry, it is NOT sad, I never cried or anything, so you are safe.  But what happens is I think more of a full circle event.  Life isn't always laughter and funny situations; life isn't always what you plan either.   I did find the ending to be a bit sudden - I actually wanted an epilogue here.  But this is a delightful read with lots to discuss, but it is not a heavy read at all.  Just enjoy the shenanigans of Willow (what an imagination!) and enjoy the ride - this is a beautiful read.