Sipsworth
Represented by Stephen M. Morrison
An Indie Next pick for May 2024
A Diane Rehm Book Club pick for June 2024
Sometimes a second chance comes in the most unexpected way….
Following the loss of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss. She retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and habit: “Each day was an impersonation of the one before with only a slight shuffle—as though even for death there is a queue.
Then, one cold winter night, a chance encounter with a mouse sets Helen on a surprising journey.
Sipsworth is a reminder that there can be second chances. No matter what we have planned for ourselves, sometimes life has plans of its own. With profound compassion, Simon Van Booy illuminates not only a deep friendship forged between two lonely creatures, but the reverberations of goodness that ripple out from that unique bond.
Reviews
“Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy I read in a day; it’s a sweet, dry, melancholic but hopeful little novel about an elderly woman and a mouse and to say any more will make it sounds like Beatrix Potter rather than what it is, which is a gorgeously odd tale about finding yourself again, unexpectedly. If you want a little piece of joy in your reading life, buy it.’”—Jojo Moyes
“Simon Van Booy has performed another small literary miracle….trenchant and beautiful….countless passages beguile and move us.”—Joan Frank, The Washington Post
“Sipsworth is a love story about a woman and a mouse. Reason suggests that such a relationship couldn’t possibly work, and yet I found myself pulling for this unlikely duo on every page. Simon Van Booy’s characters are loaded with charm, resilience, and the deep desire for connection that all mammals share. I loved it.”—Ann Patchett
“Through tears, laughter, joy, and pain, I just couldn’t stop reading this novel about friendship and second chances. Sipsworth is a marvel—storytelling at its absolute finest.”—Marc Levy
“Whimsical, beautifully detailed, and filled with heart, Sipsworth is a slim, sparkling jewel of a novel.”—Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train
“Van Booy’s enchanting latest depicts the surprisingly touching relationship between an elderly widow and a mouse…Van Booy takes the familiar trope of an aging person’s unexpected renewal and makes it feel new.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“In the generous, vibrant, and quiet novel Sipsworth, connections and kindness are easy to secure for those who take the time to get to know someone who might otherwise be thought of as a pest.”—Foreword Reviews, starred review
“Van Booy’s gift for language is immersive, creating a world as artfully self-contained as a snow globe. A reader might feel content to stay there forever, though “Sipsworth” offers a gentle caution against life apart from the crowd. This is a memorable story about serendipity – and what can happen when we keep our hearts open to surprise.”—The Christian Science Monitor