A story about a couple who lived with tamed nondomestic animals, such as a bear and a fox; a man with cognitive issues who sees and speaks with ghosts; a teenager with the power to heal with her hands; a substitute teacher and her fifth grade class, who are in the cast for a musical about the Titanic; and ghosts in the town cemetery who feel responsible for watching out for the living’s welfare, but have no ability to assist. This story has a gentle humor, and at times madcap quality, reminiscent of children’s author Jeanne Birdersall’s Penderwick series. While there is a great deal going on, with many characters to follow, it is well worth your time and attention to enter the world of Everton, New Hampshire, the Starling family, and their friends and neighbors.

Emma Starling returns home after college, and a period of some months when, having lost the gift of healing touch, she feels sad and unmoored. She learns just how bad things have gotten at home, with her brother Auggie fresh out of rehab after an OxyContin addiction, and her father suffering mental decline with only months left to live. Soon, Emma’s crisis seems small potatoes next to what her family is going through. Emma also discovers that her best high school friend, Crystal, has gone missing, and no one except her father really seems too concerned or is doing anything about it. Crystal’s disappearance, and the crises in the Starling family, are the central threads tying together this at times-chaotic story. Revealing more of the plot won’t help you decide if this is a book you might enjoy, however.

There are few books I read today that have such a gentle spirit as this one. Through the character of Emma, we gradually see that family is very important, that old friends need our time and concern, and that relationships are the most important thing in life. The attention we pay to others, the kindness and consideration we show, we will never regret that time given. Hartnett shows us, in a sensitive, yet very humorous way, that caring is always more important. The animals in the story, and the ghosts in the cemetery, with their wry observations on the action, cheerleading on the side, demonstrate as much. This book won’t be selected by Reese Witherspoon or Oprah, but it is a little gem that may be one of my favorite books this summer, maybe this year.