An Unlikely Visitor - a moving and hopeful story about loss and love.

Margaret Ford is grieving. Her husband Derek passed away three months ago, and she is struggling to adapt to life without him. This recent loss adds to the deep sorrow Margaret has carried with her for forty years since her 11-year-old daughter, Jeanie, went missing while delivering newspapers. Only her bicycle was found later that day. While trying to figure out how to move forward after losing her husband, an unlikely visitor arrives, and together they try to finally uncover what happened to Jeanie. The story alternates between the present to the time following Jeanie's disappearance, as the town comes together to help find the young girl until the police eventually call off the search. 

An Unlikely Visitor by Joanna Cannon, is a deeply touching book. Although it deals with profound loss, it is a hopeful story about love, remembrance, and the need for human connection. I was especially moved by Margaret's astute insights of isolation and loneliness following Derek's death, as she felt people distancing themselves from her, "as if misery was contagious." I highly recommend this tender tale, which also includes humor and a touch of magic. It will make you cry and also smile. 

Many thanks to Scribner for sending an advance copy of this special book.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Contemporary Fiction.

Publication Date: October 27, 2026.

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