Whitney, Tim. Thanksgiving At the Inn.

Whitney, Tim. Thanksgiving At the Inn.
Bancroft 2009 226p 19.95 978-1-890862-64-0 jr/sr

Heath’s father suffers with alcoholism and literary rejection. To make matters worse he is suspended from school at the same time that his estranged grandfather dies. The resulting story is both heart warming and heart rendering. Heath Wellington III is between a rock and a hard place when he gets suspended from school for supposedly cheating. His father (called Junior) has suffered repeatedly from alcoholism and literary rejection since his wife left him. It is definitely not a happy family situation. His father has been estranged from his father for years because of stubbornness and pride. This presents a conflict when the grandfather dies and Heath and his father must return to the family home to settle the estate.
The grandfather (Senior) was an unusual person. He made lots of money in his lifetime, but he decided that helping others was more important than making money. When he sold his business he turned the family home into the Sleeping Inn and collected people who needed to make something of themselves. In order for Junior to inherit his father’s estate, he would have to move into the inn and run it successfully for three months keeping the residents happy and content with his management. It is a story of conflict, humor, morals to be learn, and life-changing events for Heath.
This is a well written book in which the characters are well developed. It is easy for the readers to picture: Mustang Sally who is a over muscled, over tattoo grease monkey who writes children’s books, Winstead who is a wise Jamaican and former preacher and jailbird, Mrs. Farrell who is a elderly woman giving away her late husband’s ill earned fortune to needy people, and Carter who is a TV news junkie and Harvard graduate. The interactions between residents and Heath and his father allow the reader to connect with the characters and become involved with their everyday life. It is a timeless heartwarming story that is full of life’s lessons often overlooked in today’s fast paced world. MD,LM,HW