The Road to Tender Hearts

A darkly comic and warm-hearted novel about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crushΓÇöbringing together his adult daughter,two orphaned kidsand a cat who can predict deathΓÇöby the beloved author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals ΓÇ£A miraculous novelΓÇöan actual and spiritual road trip you wonΓÇÖt forget.ΓÇ¥ΓÇöJohn Irving At sixty-three years oldmillion-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in PondvilleMassachusettsif it werenΓÇÖt for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since thenPJ spends both his money and his time at the barand he probably doesnΓÇÖt have much time leftΓÇöheΓÇÖs had three heart attacks already. But when PJ reads the obituary of his old romantic rivalhe realizes his high school sweetheartMichelle Cobbis finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for lifePJ decides heΓÇÖs going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back. Before PJ can hit the roadtragedy strikes Pondvilleleaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brotherΓÇÖs grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned tripbut PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also thinks he can ask Sophiehis adult daughter whoΓÇÖs adrift in her twentiesto come along to babysit. And thereΓÇÖs one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakesa former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting deathwho recently turned up outside PJΓÇÖs home. This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped forΓÇöa fresh shot at love and parentingΓÇöbut does he have the strength to do both those things again? ItΓÇÖs very possible his heart canΓÇÖt take it.