The Narrowboat Summer

This book is a steady read full of interesting characters, new beginnings, friendships and perspectives. Two women (Eve and Sally) find themselves at an inflection point in their lives, and come across a third woman (Anastasia) who needs their help. They sign on to spend a few months living on Anastasia's narrowboat and driving it through the locks and canals to a shop some km away to be refurbished. Along the way Eve and Sally have time to reflect on their own lives to this point and be honest with themselves about what they want and what might need to change. They meet many people in the narrowboat community who expand their perspectives and enrich their experience. I enjoyed reading this - many thanks to Bookbrowse and #Netgalley for the complimentary ebook.

I'm giving this 5 stars because it is lovely, quiet, thoughtful and thought-provoking, and tender. It isn't trying to be something else, so it seems unfair to give it less because I'm comparing it to books with more action or cleverness. It transported me to a new world of canals and locks and narrowboats, along with endearing characters and pleasant scenery. I appreciated the women at mid-life, reassessing their choices, and the subculture community on the canals. Readers have to suspend disbelief at the premise bringing these characters together, but if you do, it's a cozy trip, which is just what I needed.