This delightful book will enchant any reader who has a soul.

Gloria is literally thrown out of her house by her son, Clegg, and temporarily deposited into a nursing home when her piles and piles and more piles of stuff (she’s a hoarder). While in the home, she spends several fruitful hours with a very intelligent social worker who helps Gloria get to the root of her hoarding. After about three weeks, Gloria moves in with Clegg and his wife, Val, neither of whom are what you would call gracious hosts, and, mysteriously, the grandchildren are nowhere to be seen.

While Gloria has been cured of hoarding and has become very neat and tidy, she chafes at the boredom of living with her family. She has a few friends nearby, but she doesn’t drive. After a few weeks, she just packs a little suitcase and runs away from home.

This act of elderly rebellion (Gloria is 79) turns out to be life changing in ways that are totally delightful and unexpected, for not only Gloria, but her widening circle of friends, and, ultimately, her family. She ventures far beyond her comfort zone, which had been encumbered and encased with clutter since the death of her husband. If ever there were a coming of age story about an elderly woman, this is it.

I loved this book. It’s an easy read, and the characters are relatable, but the message - essentially carpe diem - is deep. Highly recommended.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.