Author: Tim Whitney
Published: October 2009
Publisher: Bancroft Press
Genre: YA Fiction
ISBN-10: 1890862649
ISBN-13: 978-1890862640
9.5/10
Ever since his mother left, life has’t been easy for Heath Wellington III. Between his father’s (Junior’s) bouts with alcoholism and literary rejection, and Heath’s own wrongful suspension from school, there hasn’t been all that much to be thankful for.
But following the tragic death of estranged grandfather Senior, father and son alike stand to inherit a life-changing fortune . . . with one catch.
Heath and Junior must spend the next three months managing Senior’s bed and breakfast, located in the same Massachusetts home Junior has spent the last eight years trying to escape.
Upended from his everyday life and relocated to a town where everyone knew and loved the grandfather he can’t even remember, Heath finds an inn full of some of the strangest people he’s ever met, such as:
* Winsted, the old, wise Jamaican man who used to lead the prayers in Senior s factory;
* Mrs. Farrel, an elderly woman giving away her late husband’s fortune letter by letter;
* Mustang Sally, the muscle-bound, tattooed grease monkey who doubles as a children’s author;
* And Carter, the silent TV news junkie and secret Harvard graduate.
And, at a nearby school is Savannah, Junior’s first love, and her adorable, autistic daughter, Tori.
But most of all, there’s Junior himself, vinegar to Heath’s oil. As Heath adjusts to his new world, what he needs most is to start anew with his father, to understand that Junior, too, is dealing with loss, and to realize that, even in the most tragic of times, there’s a lot in life to be thankful for.
Now MY take on it:
It’s been a while since I’ve read such a “feel good” story. And at first, you don’t realize that the book will turn out like that. You just think that Heath and Junior will argue and the book will end like that. But was I wrong! Every single character has tons of personality and some of them may even remind you of your own friends or family! I know they remind me of a few people I know. And for those that didn’t remind me, I wanted to hang out with them there at the Inn. Everyone has their own situations to deal with in the book, and it reminds you of our own and how you can conquer it. With anger, laughter, sadness, and family values come into play with every single page and chapter. While Amazon says its for ages 9-12, every age can learn from it. You’re never too old to learn a life lesson. You get a new found sense of love for your family and strangers you meet. You can either be someone who has the problem but doesn’t do anything about it. You can be someone who wants to do something about it but not sure what. Or you can be that person that finally changes everything around. That’s what you’ll learn. I promise.
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