A sometimes painful tale, but captivating and surprisingly moving.' - Publishers Weekly 'Maynard's prose is beautiful and her characters winningly complicated, with no neat tie-ups in the end. 'Achingly funny, tragic and suspenseful, this hauntingly poignant coming-of-age story is not to be missed.' And the knowledge that real love is worth waiting for. Over the next five days, Henry will learn some of life's most valuable lessons: how to throw a baseball, the secret to perfect piecrust, the breathless pain of jealousy, the power of betrayal, and the importance of putting others-especially those we love-above ourselves. But all that changes on the Thursday before Labor Day, when a mysterious bleeding man named Frank approaches Henry and asks for a hand. Adele has a secret that makes it hard for her to leave their house, and seems to possess an irreparably broken heart. For company Henry has his long-divorced mother, Adele - a onetime dancer whose summer project was to teach him how to foxtrot his hamster, Joe and awkward Saturday-night outings to Friendly's with his estranged father and new stepfamily.Īs much as he tries, Henry knows that even with his jokes and his 'Husband for a Day' coupon, he still can't make his emotionally fragile mother happy. With the end of summer closing in and a steamy Labor Day weekend looming in the town of Holton Mills, New Hampshire, thirteen-year-old Henry - lonely, friendless, not too good at sports - spends most of his time watching television, reading, and daydreaming about the soft skin and budding bodies of his female classmates.

Labour day joyce maynard