REVIEW: INHERITING EDITH, BY ZOE FISHMAN

 

 

 

When Maggie Sheets, a struggling single mother to toddler daughter Lucy, learns that she has inherited a beach house in Sag Harbor, she is stunned. Not only because she had never expected to receive anything from her former friend Liza. She is also not sure what to think of the “catch” that comes with the legacy. The inheritance includes Liza’s aging mother Edith.

Maggie had met Liza Brenner, a bestselling author, when she had taken on the job of cleaning her penthouse. At some point, the two of them connected. But then, a misunderstanding (or a betrayal, depending on your perspective) drove a wedge between them.

Now Maggie has to decide what to do. Leave her house cleaning business in New York, for the cottage on the beach…and the elderly woman roommate. Or keep doing what she has been doing. But Edith could be a handful. She seems to be in early Alzheimer’s disease.

Alternating perspectives tell the story of Inheriting Edith, bringing out each woman’s history. They have more in common than they initially realized, and I was delighted to discover the layers (and secrets) of these two characters. In a lovely setting, we learn more than we bargained for.

Will they find a way to coexist? Can they provide comfort and support to one another? How will one of Edith’s secrets bind them closer together? Somewhat predictable, the story also offered up glimpses into the lives they create together, and how unexpected challenges can be true gifts. I enjoyed this book, and recommend it for those who like family issues. 4 stars.

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