GREAT READ...

This book is a great read!   It is filled with memorable characters.   There is Sally, with her red shoes and red hat.   She swears regularly and feeds the crows at the graveyard site.   She plays a great part in the whole story.   Kitty has experienced the sadness of losing close ones but unafraid of trying new things at the age of 70.    Then there is Muriel, the main character, whose memory of losing her infant son has never been accepted and she swims in her town's pool daily .   Haizum, Muriel's dog, helps her find comfort and a bit of humor throughout the story.   All the characters are colorful and eccentric.   

Muriel visits the residents at the local cemetery regularly and imagines their life stories.   Her experiences while there help her find solace in the silent company.  She leads you through the life of someone who is unable to let go her grief.  

Then surprises happen.   New people arrive - men and women.   The characters take over the story instead of a plot.   "There is humor, despair, pain, hope and happiness all in one story".   

This book has a long line of library readers waiting for it to return to the bookshelves.   It has become quite popular.   I didn't want it to end.