Cover Image: Saving Missy

Saving Missy

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There are quite a few books around these days that focus on the loneliness and isolation of the elderly – I know, because I often choose to read them, always delighted that it’s a subject increasingly finding its way into popular fiction. But I must say that you’ll rarely find the issue addressed as well as it is in this book. We all know a Missy – although we might barely notice her as she lingers over her coffee at the table in the cafe, talking to no-one, before returning to an echoing empty house. And, although intelligent, well-educated and articulate (although her sharper edges might be off-putting to some), she’s really been pretty invisible for most of her life, as the celebrated Leo Carmichael’s wife and mother to his children.

But something happens to change her life – a solitary visit to the park so that she has something (debatably) “exciting” to mention in her emails to her son Alistair (in Australia, together with the grandson who might make her life more complete – and her daughter Melanie might be closer, but certainly not a significant part of her life). Some chance meetings, some tentative friendships, and then a cautious decision to let other people in. She slowly finds support and discovers the healing power of friendship – and that she too has more to offer others than she ever imagined.

Missy’s a wonderful character, as we find out about the life she’s lived as well as watching her every faltering footstep into her new one – I was surprised to see that some readers didn’t take to her, but maybe it was partly because there was much about her that I recognised and identified with. Her new companions are a mixed bunch, a wonderfully drawn and developed cast – Angela in particular was one that I found more “difficult”, but the characterisation is excellent. There’s a lot in this book about not judging people by first impressions, and the need to be open to new experiences: but there’s also a lot about Missy herself that takes you by surprise too – one big secret that’s cast a shadow over her life, and one major plot twist that plays with your own preconceptions.

There are wonderful “moments” and set pieces throughout the book that the term “laugh out loud” was rather made for, when characters (especially Missy herself) behave entirely out of character – although the laughter is sometimes precisely because they don’t. Emotionally, the book has that perfect touch – moments of sadness and loss, times when you really ache, immensely moving, but beautifully balanced by that humour and lightness. It’s both uplifting and life-affirming, and a quite wonderful journey to reach that point – I really loved this book, and unreservedly recommend it to everyone.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

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This is the story of Missy, a seventy nine year old lady who is desperately lonely but too proud to admit it. Her son and grandson have moved to Australia and she doesn’t see much of her daughter, so she spends much of her time rattling around her large house alone.

This changes one day when she goes for a walk in the park and meets Sylvie, Angela and her son Otis. The two women take Missy under their wing and soon we begin to see a different side to the old lady. As she slowly lets her new friends into her life she becomes much more relaxed and likeable, even taking care of Bob (the female!) dog.

I loved reading about the transition in Missy’s character after she met her new upbeat and vibrant friends. The book is a great example of how loneliness can affect older people and how it can change by simple acts of kindness.

The chapters alternate between the present time and going back to her life as a young wife and mother. It becomes clear why Missy feels guilty about decisions she made and her vulnerability shows through.

This is an amazing debut full of warmth, humour and kindness. I adored the relationship which developed when Missy began to enjoy the companionship of Bobby the dog. Although she was reluctant at first, it soon starts to open doors and makes the old lady see the world in a different light.

A well written and heartwarming read.

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This was a slow starter for me and I genuinely thought about giving up on but I’m so glad I carried on with it as I ended up really enjoying it.

Such a lovely story that really gets you thinking - a great selection of really likeable characters that I grew to love the more I read.

The book was surprisingly full of a few twists that kept you wanting to read more and when this happened I was genuinely surprised each time which I think is such a rarity when reading a book of this genre.

I recommend reading this one, for an easy read. A mixture of heartbreaking scenarios that leave you feeling strangely uplifted.

Friendship is everything!

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Saving Missy by Beth Morrey – Published 06 02 20

I would like to thank Netgalley, the author and publisher for giving me this copy to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sometimes it takes a lifetime to find where you truly belong. Seventy-nine is too late for a second chance. Isn’t it? Missy Carmichael is prickly, stubborn – and terribly lonely. Until a chance encounter in the park with two very different women opens to door to something new. Something wonderful.

I really enjoyed this book and loved Missy from the outset. In some ways she reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant. It is a story of how friendship can really change your life and give you purpose. Missy gives hope to others that you can always get a do-over. I loved getting to know Missy’s life story from growing up, going to University and meeting her husband. I would highly recommend this book.
5 stars

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Saving Missy is much more gentle than my usual reading material but that does not mean that I didn't love it! Morrey's writing is wonderful and I was able to fit into Missy's life straight away and I was sad to leave her behind when I had finished reading.

Without doubt, the strength of this novel is in its characters. The protagonist is obviously Missy and I loved getting to know her. She may be getting older but she has some valuable life experiences and I enjoyed the sections where we go back in time to see how her past has influenced the way she lives today. Missy is not always the sweet old lady we imagine her to be and we do see glimpses of a stubborn and rude side to Missy when she says some hurtful things. Although these are not pleasant to read, they do make her a more rounded character and allow us to see her humanity which makes her easier to relate to. The supporting characters, especially Sylvie, Angela and Melanie are also written with the same depth and I immediately felt part of their lives. It would also be impossible to write a review of this novel without mentioning Bobby who is a wonderful canine character!

Morrey definitely knew how to pull at my heartstrings and I struggled not to cry through parts of this book. She explores themes such as grief and loneliness in such a sensitive way and her writing really touched me.

I do not feel like my review does the book justice, so I would suggest you meet Missy for yourself. You won't be disappointed!

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Such a beautiful book. A bit slow to start but then Missy's story unfolds and my feelings towards her changed. Her life changes when she makes some new friends and acquires a dog. It is only then that her back story develops and right at the end we can see what she has had to deal with. I will admit to crying at one point. I didn't realise that this was a debut novel. Cannot wait to see what she writes next.

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Missy is almost 80 and the story is shared between her present life and looking back at her life. Have to admit I was frequently surprised at how she felt about things and people and she made different choices from ones I might have made but that all went to make it interesting

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Oh how I loved Missy! Beth Morrey’s debut novel “Saving Missy”, is a wonderfully heart-warming tale of overcoming loneliness, forming friendships and accepting the kindness of strangers in a superb ‘coming of old’ story.
The world has changed around Missy Carmichael. At seventy-nine, she's estranged from her daughter, and her son and only grandson live across the world. She spends her days drinking sherry in her big empty house, reliving her past. However, it's her mistakes and secrets that she dwells on the most. The last thing Missy expects is for two perfect strangers and one lively dog to break through her prickly exterior and show her just how much love she still has to give.
It’s impossible not to immediately form a bond with Missy, she’s one of those women who are prickly, unknowingly cause offence and have fierce opinions but are instantly likeable at a first meeting and someone who has so much to give, given the opportunity. Her unlikely friendship with single mother Angela, an Irish plain speaking journalist and her son Otis made for some fabulous scenes. When Missy takes on a dog that needs a temporary home, her hardened shell begins to thaw and she realises so much love can come from having a pet. Taking her into the local park and meeting other dog walkers, she forms new friendships and begins to enjoy her different routines. Missy starts to enjoy her regular walks and suddenly she’s no longer lonely and stuck in a rut.
A deliciously uplifting and heartwarming tale that tugs on all your heartstrings (keep some tissues handy for one particularly emotional scene) and seeing life through new eyes in a near eighty year old woman gives the reader hope that we never need to be alone at any age.
A beautiful story and a brilliant debut that is already doing well and going down a storm with readers of all ages and I feel privileged to have met and made friends with Missy Carmichael!

5 stars

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When I was reading this book I really loved it and couldn't put it down. However, oddly, after I'd finished I started to pull it apart slightly in my head.
Some plot spoilers ahead:
I felt that Missy wasn't a particularly likeable character, from my point of view. When compared with characters such as Ove she was actually initially more likeable but then, because she came from a position or privilege I felt that she came across as a bit whiney.
The burglary was really glossed over for such a major incident. It was only the trigger for Missy getting the dog, so why not just have a break-in downstairs instead of two men in her bedroom and nearly attacking her, for it to then be almost forgotten.
Some of the more historic family stuff went over my head a bit and I couldn't see the relevance to the storyline.
I also guessed fairly early on about what had happened to Missy's husband.
Having said all of that I did enjoy it whilst reading it, so 3 stars from me.

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Such a lovely book!

I really enjoyed reading this, the way Missy's character developed really had me gripped, I loved all of the characters and wasn't expecting the ending!

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Saving Missy is a painfully real exploration of life; through retrospective memories and the hope to move on, Morrey expresses that there is always a way forwards.

The story follows Missy Carmichael, a 79 year old living alone in a big, stately house in London. Estranged from her daughter after a fight, and with her adored son living across the world, she finds herself lonely, and quite frankly, broken.
Chance meetings with a single mum Angela, and bright interior designer Sylvie, however, begins to change things. Along with the (reluctant) addition of a dog, Bobby, Missy begins to find herself again in ways she hadn't contemplated she ever could. Morrey truly brings these characters to life, with distinct and realistically flawed characters. My main take-away of the book was the sense of hope; despite several utterly heart-wrenching events in the book, which Morrey paints so vividly, she also indicates a hope, a way out.

There were a few aspects that I feel could have been improved upon; the traumatic event for Missy (robbery) was passed over relatively quickly. Realistically, I imagine this would have caused considerable trauma, and affected her much more than it did in the book. Throughout the whole of Saving Missy, I had believed Leo, her husband, to have died - I realised by the end it was an undisclosed illness. It's likely this is Alzheimer's, portrayed heartbreakingly tangibly; Morrey insinuates lots of things in the book, and this was something I didn't pick up on (more my fault than the author's)! I'd also add as a content warning, there is discussion of abortion, suicide (I think?) and a wlw relationship which I'd have preferred to know about beforehand.

Not typically reading contemporary books, this was a marked - but welcome - change for me. Though I wouldn't consider it a favourite by any means, it was beautifully written and may yet persuade me to pick up more of the genre in future :)

'But know this: we may have sung different songs, and sometimes we were out of tune, but I think we harmonised rather well, in the end. Don't you?'

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What a gorgeous book! I wasn't sure I would like the character of Missy, who seemed anti-social and bitter but as the story unfolded, her layers unpeeled, revealing a complex, loving and loveable lady who was carrying a burden of secrets. I was totally drawn into the funny, poignant and quirky world of dog walkers. I was enchanted by the evolving relationship between Missy and Bob, the adorable dog who though initially foisted upon her, ended up unlocking her heart. I loved loud but heart of gold Angela and her son Otis who helped fill the void left in Missy 's life by her own grandson who lives in Australia. Sylvie and her dogs are charming aas are all the group of dogs and owners who take Missy to their hearts. My heart went out to Melanie, Missy' s daughter, who has a fractured relationship with her mum, both of her them crying out for love. I laughed aloud at parts of this delicious book but I also wept buckets! I highly recommend this book and give it 5*

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The protagonist of Beth Morrey’s unexpectedly heart-warming debut is seventy-nine-year-old Millicent (Missy) Carmichael. Aloof, stubborn and always looking to take offence, she is crippled by loneliness and finds herself turning to the bottle as she contemplates her life in the home where she raised a family. But with Leo, her husband of over sixty years now gone, her son and grandson having emigrated and and a fractious relationship with her recently estranged daughter, Missy has more than a few regrets. In the hope of finding something interesting to share in an email with her son Missy ventures out to the park and ends up speaking to two women. Effusive interior designer Sylvie invites her for coffee along with outspoken and potty-mouthed Angela, a journalist with a four-year-old son called Otis. Fearful of being seen as a burdensome old biddy, Missy declines but having connected with two locals she is ‘adopted’ and finds her horizons broadening. Reluctant to be seen as needy but overjoyed to be spending time with Otis, a potential replacement for her own grandson, Missy soon finds herself reluctantly agreeing to look after a dog named Bob.

Thrust into a world of dog walkers and slowly but surely being won over by mongrel Bob, Missy’s canine companion takes her out the house and is the non-judgemental listener she needs. Harbouring regrets and pondering words left unsaid, Missy’s small, lonely existence gradually begins to expand and brings with it the unexpected joy of friendship. Still to confront her argument with daughter Melissa and come to terms with the decisions made in her earlier years it is the support of her new friends that gives Missy the courage to tackle the memories left unconfronted and reach out to Melissa. Narrated in the first person by Missy its gives the reader direct access to her thoughts and observations. Alternate chapters see Missy reflecting on her past experiences which gives a real sense of what has shaped her and makes many of her eccentricities understandable. Having devoted herself to supporting her husband’s career and raising their family it meant Missy put aside her own years of dedicated study and first class Classics degree.

Missy’s first-person reminisces see her in childhood, her student years at Cambridge and inaugural meeting with Leo right through to her struggles in the early years of motherhood. Missy’s observations are clear-eyed and reveal a far more vulnerable woman than the present day version would lead you to believe. It is this level of depth and the complete absence of mawkishness that made Saving Missy an uplifting read and whilst the final revelation makes for a bittersweet denouement my overriding memory is one of the power of friendship and optimism. My main reservation is that throughout the story Missy feels like a character a decade younger than her seventy-nine-years but aside from this the characterisation is superb. Angela is developed with the same attention to detail as Missy and despite their contrasting personalities I found the bond that they fostered one of the highlights of the novel. Moreover Missy’s reflections on her past convey a vivid sense of Leo and brings the past alive, making for an involving and life-affirming read.

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<p>This was a really sweet book from the story and the way it was written. The meaning of the story was so heartwarming and I think most people will find a way to relate to the story.</p>
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<p>The main character Missy is in her late 70's and is suffering from loneliness. She misses her friends and is feeling neglected by her family. One day Missy goes to the local park and meets new people which really opens up her world. The book explores both the present day and Missy's past, which I found really helpful as we got a true insight into her whole life. Missy was such a likable character and I found it interesting as it was centered around an elderly lady as most books focus on a younger person.</p>
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<p>I think I was slightly younger than the target age group (I'm 22) but I still really enjoyed it. I think everyone who reads this will be able to take away different things and I think certain things will stick more with different age groups.</p>
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A beautiful, heart warming story about the power of friendship and the gifts it can bring. The story shows you can always get a second chance at life.

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I really enjoyed this book immensely.
The story of missy, as she slowly begins to reconnect with the world after a massive shift in circumstances is as heartwarming s it is poignant. It is a tale of love, friendship and inner healing.
I thoroughly recommend this book.

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First-person narrators on the margins of society have dominated contemporary fiction for a while – whether The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window or Eleanor Oliphant, prolific readers cannot seem to get enough of these narratives. 79 year-old Millicent Carmichael, Missy for short, joins them from her large, rambling London home that has remained unchanged since her wedding day. The death of her husband and the emigration to Australia have left Missy lonely and suspicious of the people in her neighbourhood. An unfortunate fainting episode in a local park, however, forces Missy to engage with a diverse group of locals who bring colour, excitement and variety into her life. One of the starring roles must go to Bobby, the dog who becomes Missy’s faithful companion. I was initially not too keen on split narrative that alternates between Missy’s childhood and her life as an adult, but as the pages rolled by, a more complex picture emerged of this idiosyncratic protagonist. A novel that touches upon many contemporary topics and also pains a picture of contemporary London that makes you feel you are right there with these characters. Warmly recommended! Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for my free ARC in exchange for this honest and unbiased review.

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Grieving for her husband, missing her son and grandson who have moved to Australia and estranged from her daughter, Missy is a lonely old lady. Two women who bump into her one day in the park, befriend her and so begins a journey of discovery as the strangers around her gradually become friends, helped in no small way by a dog she is persuaded to foster.

As the story unfolds, we hear about Missy’s childhood, university days, meeting her husband and the early days of parenthood.

This was a lovely, well written story which I found easy to read, with characters I enjoyed getting to know.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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I had mixed feelings about this book. I did find it quite slow, but I sort of got into it more in the second half and the characters seemed to grow on me. But Missy was quite irritating a lot of the time.

Missy is a 79 year old woman living on her own and very lonely, and broke, but most of it her own doing. Then she meets outgoing (swears a lot) Angela and her young son in the park, along with another woman Sylvia, much more refined, and they sort of drag her back to life.

The story flips between her life now and her younger life, before and during when she was married to Leo (well known writer/deceased). She ends up looking after a lovely dog, after a bit of persuasion, which she ends up really taking to but... and this is where it ruined it for me, the dog dies. Unfortunately I can't read books where dogs/animals die, it just completely ruins it for me, so I ended up skim reading to the end.

So I sort of enjoyed it, although it was very slow. I think books should have warnings on them, like film ratings, i.e. animals die in this one so don't read it if you don't like that sort of thing!!

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I tried to not read up on this book before I read it. I'd heard people say it was a lovely story etc etc and that's all I needed to know. The story was so tender and emotional, and feel the characters were one of it's many strengths. Such fantastic characters, with Missy, I just wanted to meet her, sit down and chat and the lovely moments she had just melted my heart.

The friendships that Missy made really stayed with me after I finished this book. You saw people coming together, helping each other, supporting each other and the love felt so true and real.

Really lovely read, and I will be telling many people to give this a read!

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