MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY

Tara Sands deftly narrates this heartwarming debut novel. Poppy, a 32-year-old would-be writer, has been meeting secretly with her Aunt Margot, who is estranged from the rest of their family. When Margot dies, she bequeaths Poppy a vacation to the French Riviera. During a grueling dinner with her family, Poppy realizes the vacation is a real opportunity. Once in France, she discovers her aunt secretly owned and ran a writer's colony. The colony could be Poppy's--if she can finish writing a book in six months. Sands does an outstanding job of giving distinctive voices to all the characters, French and Italian accents notwithstanding. Sands also hits all the right notes of Poppy's emotions as she mobilizes her confidence in her writing and her life. S.K.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2023]