Review: The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey

Title: The Love Story of Missy Carmichael

Author: Beth Morrey

Published: April 2020, G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Format: ARC E-copy, 352 pages

Source: Netgalley

Summary: 

For readers of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and A Man Called Ove,
a life-affirming, deeply moving “coming-of-old” story, a celebration of
how ordinary days are made extraordinary through friendship, family,
and the power of forgiving yourself–at any age.

Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. Woman meets dog…

The
world has changed around Missy Carmichael. At seventy-nine, she’s
estranged from her daughter, her son and only grandson live across the
world in Australia, and her great love is gone. Missy spends her days
with a sip of sherry, scrubbing the kitchen in her big empty house and
reliving her past–though it’s her mistakes, and secrets, that she
allows to shine brightest. The last thing Missy expects is for two
perfect strangers and one spirited dog to break through her prickly
exterior and show Missy just how much love she still has to give. Filled
with wry laughter and deep insights into the stories we tell ourselves,
The Love Story of Missy Carmichael shows us it’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. It’s never too late to love.

My thoughts: As soon as I heard a few friends rave about this book, I knew I had to read it. And while I haven’t read either of the two books that it is being compared to – though they are both on my list – I have to say…this book charmed me like no other.

I adored Missy. She might be my new favorite character. She is quirky and set in her ways but at 79, isn’t that to be expected? She’s not mean, but she’s had some things happen to her in life that have made her become the way she is. Luckily, all it takes is meeting some new people, allowing them into her life, albeit begrudgingly at first, to realize how she has closed herself off and what she has missed in by doing so.

This book warmed my soul. It was the perfect book to read during this time of uncertainty. It’s a slow-moving book, but once you get there (and you will know what I mean once you read it) you will want to savor every word and interaction that occurs. Being a dog person, I particularly loved the way Missy slowly grew to love the dog – so much so that she even started talking to it! I talk to my dogs all the time 🙂

I loved learning about Missy’s life as she reminisces about her life and her family. In the beginning of the book, she’s not the most likeable of characters, but as time goes on and we learn more about her, she really grew on me and I found I really cared about her and what happened to her. I love books like that, where you become so invested in a character that you only want the best for the characters, especially ones that you didn’t particularly love in the beginning.

This is a truly a special book and I am definitely going to be watching to see what comes next from Beth Morrey. She has such a way of creating characters you care about and evoking such strong emotions. Have those tissues ready when you read this…you’ll need them!