Tales From Old Toad Island: Humourous Adventures of Esmerelda Perkins, Book Two

An absolutely hilarious rendering of a new-to-Toad Island middle aged woman who is eccentric herself. Esmerelda holds forth on romance, online dating, the frustrations of aging, the difficulties of finding reliable help to fix things or attempting to do so herself, and the unwritten rules of "fitting in" on Toad Island. I read it straight through.

This book quickly draws you into a circle of friends who alternately shove and support the author, Sheila, into a new life on a small island off a bigger island off the West Coast. It winds its way through relationship, health, financial, travel and practical challenges with funny and poignant results. There were so many LOL parts dealing with the ups and downs of aging, and how to be mindful of friends and acquaintances but stay true to yourself. Doing so with humour and self-deprecation was the icing on the cake.