Very well written and moving book!  From time to time you come across a book that makes you step back and say, "I am sure glad that I had an easier time of it than the character in the book."  Caddie will show you that with determination, commitment, and going after what you want, things will finally pay off.

Thirty-two year old Caddie Winger is living with her grandmother, Nana, and the family dog, Finney.  Not much is going on in this young woman's life.  She teaches piano and violin to those who really don't want to learn, but are pushed by their parents.  Only one has any talent, but she pushes at every turn.  Life just seems to happen for Caddie;  nothing special or spectacular ever occurs, just mundane living.

Caddie lost her mother when she was only nine years old and never knew who her father was.  Jane, Caddie's mom, was a singer and traveled a lot, looking for that big break, so Caddie was raised by her grandmother, Nana.  When Jane died in a car accident, Caddie didn't really have too much to get used to. Her life was what it was.

Nana is an eccentric old lady who loves to make people take notice of her unusual ways and hobbies.  The more they look, the more she likes it.  One day, Nana falls and breaks her leg.  After the surgery, she decides to move into Wake House—a local home for old people—not really a nursing home, but a place which many go to before they end up in a nursing home.  Everyone who lives in Wake House can take care of themselves and pretty much do what they need to.  Young and old alike, people have problems from time to time, and places like Wake House allow them to live as normally as possible, but still have others around them if they need a little help.  Nana wanted to give Caddie a chance to live the life of a young woman, going out with friends, finding love, and just enjoying being young without having to care for an old lady.  Of course Caddie would have none of this.  Her life was good, or she thought it was, until she started looking deeper.

Caddie finds friends at Wake House who make her happy and more alive; unfortunately, this is a summer of goodbyes for Caddie.  Living the experiences that she does will make Caddie stop and think about herself for the first time ever.  What will it take to make Caddie a  happy and fulfilled person?  Life is challenging enough day to day.  When you throw taking care of an elderly grandmother with dementia into the mix, you will discover that maybe your life isn’t so bad.

This is one of those books that will tell you a complete and touching story about life, love and the challenges of every day.