Publisher’s description for Flying Solo, by Linda Holmes:
“Smarting from her recently canceled wedding and about to turn forty, Laurie Sassalyn returns to her Maine hometown of Calcasset to handle the estate of her great-aunt Dot, a spirited adventurer who lived to be ninety-three. Alongside boxes of Polaroids and pottery, a mysterious wooden duck shows up at the bottom of a cedar chest. Laurie’s curiosity is piqued, especially after she finds a love letter to the never-married Dot that ends with the line “And anyway, if you’re ever desperate, there are always ducks, darling.””
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A cozy sweater, your favorite pair of jeans, a soft blanket, a cup of tea on a cold evening, this book. Warm and gentle. Comforting, relatable, real, and lovely. Cozy indeed. I loved Evvie Drake, and this has all the at-home-in-Maine-ness that Evvie does, without so much of the angst and tragedy and hardship. It felt like an ode to strong women in middle-age. It was interesting and fun and poignant and felt…I don’t know, settled, somehow. The people, places, and relationships felt true. Aunt Dot’s house and love for Laurie felt true. The various senses of loss and discoveries (and rediscoveries) felt true too. I felt like I knew Laurie? It’s hard to explain why I enjoyed this so much, but if you’re looking for an easy, engrossing read, and/or you liked Evvie Drake, this is the book for you. And frankly, I just can’t wait to see what Linda Holmes does next.