The Big Finish

Duffy Sinclair is a grumpy eighty-eight-year-old resident at Centennial, an assisted living facility. He’s carved out a peaceable life for himself amongst the other residents, and his roommate, Carl. His regimented schedule gives him predictability to see him out for his remaining days. But, as life tends to do, it still has a curveball in store for Duffy. One day, as he and Carl are preparing to head down to the dining room for breakfast, a young woman comes in through their bedroom window. She’s barefoot, dirty, has a black eye, and says she’s looking for Carl.

This book is one, big, heartfelt surprise. Given the cover art and the narrator’s sarcastic manner, I expected the book to be humorous, but I didn’t expect it to have the depth and heart that it also has. The absurdity of Duffy’s life is not lost on him, but it’s also entertaining for the reader. As things keep happening and Duffy finds himself the victim of circumstance more than once, he also has the opportunity to make choices for his remaining days. All of the characters were interesting and realistic. I especially liked Duffy. The book kept me wondering right up to the very last pages. I didn’t think Fossey was going to end the book the way she did, and while it was quite a surprise, it was also a good way to finish. A Big Finish indeed. This would be an excellent choice for book clubs.