Actually, I was expecting a murder mystery here, but the more I got into this story about domestic problems of all sorts, the more I realised that those things can be just as scary and dramatic – let alone the fact that they’re reality, for millions of people. This is by no means an average social drama, though; the heroine alone, Mrs. Tilly Thistlethwaite aged 85, makes sure of that!
A whole array of lovable characters round up the cast – Slim, her faithful and patient admirer, her lady friends, the local pastor and his sister, the cop who has had experiences with Mrs Thistlethwaite before, and the energetic ex-Marine fitness trainer called Hope. We learn about the drama of Wendy and her husband, who regularly mistreats her; when her neighbour Beth suggests taking part in a self-defense course, she agrees, hoping it will give her more self-confidence. When Brett finds out about it, though, he cracks up, goes into town and attacks the fitness trainer he blames for everything – but Mrs Thistlethwaite from the Seniors Self-Defense class attacks him with her cane and scares him away! He hides in the woods, where he turns into a wounded beast, dangerous and vengeful…
A lovely story, very cleverly told from various points of view, even that of the ‘baddie’, with a nice sense of humour amid all the grim goings-on, and most of all a heart-warming kindness in an unobtrusively Christian way. There’s not a moment of boredom in it, and it definitely makes us want to read more of Mrs. Thistlethwaite’s adventures!
Roberta Franklin 