When I first picked up Clara and Pig I thought it might be a children’s book, because of the name, and then seeing the cover my expectations changed to “quirky romance”. In fact it is neither of these things, it’s the intriguing story of Clara, a feisty older lady who has been forced to move from Florida to Vermont to be closer to her son. Clara has been driven to make this change by the onset of dementia, coupled with the loss of loved ones closer to home.

From the moment she arrives, Clara hates her new apartment, her neighbours, the weather and Vermont in general, and does not hesitate to express this. The author, Mary Ann Tippett, skilfully achieves the difficult task of making us like Clara and care about her despite the fact that most of the time she is rather unpleasant to everyone around her (except for her dog, Pig). The story touches sensitively on a subject many of us might prefer not to dwell on, the loss of control over our lives as we get older, and it’s impossible not root for Clara as she struggles to come to terms with the cards life has dealt her at this point in her life.

I loved this book, and in fact my only criticism of it would be that I wanted more, as it’s quite short. When the book closes there are a few questions left hanging, and not everything is neatly wrapped up and concluded like in a Dickens novel – but then again, such is life: there will always be uncertainty over the future, and this is central to the story, so perhaps it’s fitting that the reader should be left wondering about a few things as it draws to an end.

Overall it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year, simultaneously funny, moving, and extremely sad, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.