Critically acclaimed author Julie Lawson Timmer returns with a tale of how community can heal the brokenness in all of us.
Markie, a fortysomething divorcée who has suffered a humiliating and very public fall from marital, financial, and professional grace, moves, along with her teenage son, Jesse, to a new town, hoping to lick her wounds in private. But Markie and Jesse are unable to escape the attention of their new neighbor Mrs. Saint, an irascible, elderly New European woman who takes it upon herself, along with her ragtag group of “defectives,” to identify and fix the flaws in those around her, whether they want her to or not.
What Markie doesn’t realize is that Mrs. Saint has big plans for the divorcée’s broken spirit. Soon, the quirky yet endearing woman recruits Markie to join her eccentric community, a world where both hidden truths and hope unite them. But when Mrs. Saint’s own secrets threaten to unravel their fragile web of healing, it’s up to Markie to mend these wounds and usher in a new era for the “defectives”—one full of second chances and happiness.
Second chances Mrs. Saint and the Defectives is a quirky, humorous, but extremely heartfelt book. Markie has uprooted her son and herself following a divorce, far from the private school, country club life they were used to. The day she moves in, she is introduced to Mrs. Saint, a bossy, opinionated Frenchwoman, and her employees. As Mrs. Saint ingratiates herself into the lives of Markie and her son, Markie is annoyed, not only because she wants to be left alone, but because Mrs. Saint is less than…
Warm, witty, and life-affirming I read Mrs. Saint and the Defectives a few months ago while someone close to me was dying, and it was exactly what I needed: it’s one of those novels that feels like comfort food, and at the same time, it was completely life-affirming. Timmer’s novel is brimming with warmth, wit, and one delightful character after the next—and has one of the most satisfying endings I’ve read in years. Highly recommended. (I received an early review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
Perfection Yes. This is the one. Funny and perfect beach read. Believable characters who are relatable with a story that flows. Nothing too heavy here, just heartwarming and easy reading.Finally a Kindle First that proves they can pick an author who can write a story that is worth spending the day reading.Sullen teenage character written to perfection.