What’s it about?
Ninety-two year old Flo Greene is nearing the end of her life and is writing a letter to Ruthie, who grew up next door to her, and to whom she is willing her house and all its contents. She is telling the story behind certain objects, and by doing so she creates a kind of autobiography in things. The story shows that no matter the circumstances, so long as you’re alive, you can find a way to keep investing in life. Despite the little time she has left, Flo manages to take herself up on tiny dares, to make new friends, and to help others find the kind of fulfillment that she has found in her own well-lived life. She also reveals a surprising secret about her seemingly perfect marriage.
What was the inspiration?
Did you ever go to an estate sale and wonder about the meaning of certain things? Did you ever feel you could get a picture of who the people were because of their artwork, their flatware, their clothes, their embroidered tablecloths, the contents of their jewelry box, their wallpaper? That was the inspiration for this book. But it turned out to be much more than that, ending with Flo’s coming to a kind of wide gratitude that I hope will inspire others in their efforts to find joy in and appreciate their own lives.
March 2026
Excerpt
Ruthie, in the drawer below the makeup is a jewelry box, and the best thing in there is my pearls. I don’t care what you wear those pearls with, they make everything look good. Terrence gave me those pearls one Christmas and I looked up at him, and at first I couldn’t even speak. But then I said, Terrence, I am going to wear these tonight and then we’re taking them back, there is no way we can afford them. And he said, I know we can’t. And that’s why I got them for you. If we were rich, what pleasure would there be in my giving you such a thing? You wear them, they’re to help you remember what you’re worth.