Work has always come ahead of family for Headmaster John Stevens. Now, as his retirement begins, he must learn to live without his usual organized days. His wife Sally has purchased and furnished a new home for them, called Plot One by the villagers. She’s also planned a three week tour of America. It ends in disaster and John’s life is horrifically changed. He now has long days to discover his interests and see his flaws. He reconnects with his young adult children and slowly becomes an important part of their lives. He learns to adapt and change and becomes a far better person than he was before retirement.

Plot One is lyrical, beautifully written and full of characters you want to know more about. Your heart breaks for John as he builds a new life, a life far different than what he had planned. His children, Emma and Joe, are finding a new relationship with their once absent and usually prickly father. I loved watching them learn to see their parents as adults with problems of their own. All the characters are described with such detail that you feel you would recognize them one the street. Plot One is a jewel. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Troubadour and Peter Johnson for this ARC.