Vermont diner owner Nora appears to be living a dreamy life, serving up delicious pancakes in an adored community cornerstone and snapping artsy food photos on the side. And it is a good life, but it’s not necessarily the one Nora would have chosen for herself. After experiencing multiple catastrophes early in life, the protagonist of Louise Miller’s The Late Bloomers’ Club had to become the Responsible One in the family — or as her little sister Kit puts it, “Saint Nora”.
Of course Nora doesn’t feel like a saint. She feels burdened and tired after decades of looking after everyone else. When a beloved local woman dies unexpectedly and (even more unexpectedly) leaves Nora and her sister Kit joint ownership of her estate, complications quickly begin to multiply. Who really was Peggy “the Cake Lady” Johnson? Why are there sculptures hidden on her property? And where is her poor dog, Freckles? In a storyline with echoes of You’ve Got Mail, Nora and her sister must decide whether to sell the land they have inherited to a (handsome, sweet) developer who will raze the forest and put up a big box store — or keep it, and face potentially devastating financial consequences.
Miller’s portrayal of the fraught relationship between hyper-responsible Nora and her selfish kid sister could have been painted with more subtlety, though Nora’s midlife reawakening (which is satisfying to watch unfold) is helped along by the foil of her flighty, creative sibling. Another relationship that is kept mostly in the background in this novel was so interesting I found myself wishing Miller would devote more pages to their story. And while the wrapped-with-a-bow ending may not be realistic, hard-nosed realism is not the reason to read The Late Bloomers’ Club: pick this up when you need reassurance that good exists in the world.
This sweet, comforting read is perfect for curling up with on a blustery day. I put it down feeling warmer towards my fellow humans — and craving hot coffee and burnt sugar cake with maple icing (don’t worry, there’s a recipe in the back). Ideal for fans of Jenny Colgan and Gilmore Girls.
