#9 in Literary fiction
The Road to Tender Hearts
- 385
- Pages
- about 7 h
- Reading time
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About the book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A darkly comic and warm-hearted novel about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crush—bringing together his adult daughter, two orphaned kids, and a cat who can predict death—by the beloved author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals “A miraculous novel—an actual and spiritual road trip you won’t forget.”—John Irving AN NPR AND LIT HUB BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left—he’s had three heart attacks already. But when PJ reads the obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he’s going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back. Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also thinks he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter who’s adrift in her twenties, to come along to babysit. And there’s one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home. This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for—a fresh shot at love and parenting—but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It’s very possible his heart can’t take it.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.5 across 78 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 30% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Literary fiction average of 8.3. That is how 8.3 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 8.5 | 78 | 100% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“Despite the tragedy throughout, this is easily one of the best audiobooks I've listened to in some time. Full of quirky, multidimensional and extremely funny characters. Found family (intergenerational). Road trip.”
Frequently asked
What is The Road to Tender Hearts rated?
8.3 out of 10, from 78 reader ratings across 1 independent sources.
Is The Road to Tender Hearts worth reading?
Readers give it 8.3/10 from 78 ratings, which puts it ahead of 83 % of the Literary fiction shelf.
How long does it take to read The Road to Tender Hearts?
About 7 hours at an average reading pace — 385 pages.
Where does The Road to Tender Hearts rank?
#9 in Literary fiction on the current snapshot.
How long is The Road to Tender Hearts?
It has 385 pages — longer than 53% of the ranked books in Literary fiction.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Literary fiction — with scores between 8.2 and 8.4, closest to this book.
