I have enjoyed every book I have read by Joanna, and this one did not disappoint. In this book we meet three very different ladies who volunteer at The Marjorie Marshall Memorial Cafeteria.
The outdated cafeteria has been the beating heart of the hospital for many years. A place where loved ones come to grieve, patients come in search of a friendly smile and a hot cup of tea, and new grandparents come to show off pictures of perfect little newborns.
Hillary is the manageress and rules the place with an iron fist. There, she is in charge, but in reality, her life has crumbled around her. Managing the cafeteria gives her a sense of control. Something she has lost in her private life.
Joy is as colourful as her daily outfits and doesn’t take her volunteering role as seriously as Hillary would like, but is there something or someone missing that once brought so much colour to her life?
Young Chloe is about to embark on a Medical Degree and is the daughter of two successful surgeons. She is volunteering her time because her parents think it will look good on her CV. Poor Chloe is miserable and doesn’t want to be a doctor. It’s not what she wants to do with her life.
The survival of the cafteria comes under threat with the arrival of a new fancy food outlet offering organic choices, acai bowls and an array of green juices Hillary can’t pronounce the name of. The three ladies must band together to find a way to save it.
This is a heartwarming story about unexpected friendship, loyalty, and the relationships that help us rediscover ourselves. There are some great supporting characters. I loved Hillary’s sister.
These three ladies form a lovely friendship, despite the generation gap between the the two older ladies and Chloe. They discover more about each other, learning people are not always who they seem to be. During this process they discover even more about themselves.
There are lots of heart felt moments along with some great laughs. If you are a fan of light-hearted fiction that centres around older characters and are yet to discover Joanna’s books, don’t wait any longer and grab yourself a copy today.
I give it 5 stars.