Kate is approaching her fortieth birthday, a few months before the big day, her boyfriend, Nick, who two weeks before had asked her to move in, says he wants to withdraw. In the middle of their holiday. Kate is devastated and then hot on the heels, the word “redundancy” is being bandied around at the her long term workplace. A friend suggests she volunteer as a friend at a local old peoples home. She meets 97 year old Cecily Finn, who has resigned herself to die soon. Cecily doesn't take any prisoners with her opinion of Nick and the choice Kate has to make in her professional life. Cecily lends Kate a cookbook which has menus for each occasion - all of which seem to have significant meaning for Kate. A delightful book, I loved reading it.