First published 2025
Joan Hargrove lies injured after tumbling down her stairs, leaving The Humpty Dumpty Club without their driving force. The Pittsburgh women's group must now cover Joan's responsibilities while managing their own aging bodies and personal struggles. The four core members juggle choir practice with their mission of caring for friends in need. They bake cookies for the grieving, drive neighbors to medical appointments, watch over pets, and sit beside hospital beds. Between prescription pickups and doctor visits, they navigate divorces and deaths within their circle. Emily Maxwell and her fellow members discover how much weight Joan carried as they work to fill the gap. The women face their own mortality while proving that showing up matters more than grand gestures. Their chosen family grows stronger as they learn to depend on each other in new ways.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: Pittsburgh
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Hardcover · Atlantic Monthly Press