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Summary | Discuss | Reviews | More Information | Read-Alikes
Over the course of two weeks in a small English town, a reclusive widow discovers an unexpected reason to live.
Following the loss of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss. She retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and habit: "Each day was an impersonation of the one before with only a slight shuffle—as though even for death there is a queue."
Then, one cold winter night, a chance encounter with a mouse sets Helen on a surprising journey.
Sipsworth is a reminder that there can be second chances. No matter what we have planned for ourselves, sometimes life has plans of its own. With profound compassion, Simon Van Booy illuminates not only a deep friendship forged between two lonely creatures, but the reverberations of goodness that ripple out from that unique bond.
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (12/25/2025)
I've been off work since December 19 so am enjoying extra reading time. I recently finished Sipsworth by Simon van Booy and Zebra-Striped Hearse by Ross MacDonald. I'm currently reading Starter Villain by John Scalzi for my IRL bookclub
-Nanette_S
Name your favorite lighthearted novel
My most recent heartwarming read was Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy, and I loved it! It's a sweet, quiet story about an older woman whose life takes an unexpected turn. The writing is beautiful, and it's one of those...
-Mitzi_K
"Enchanting ... fresh and often funny, thanks to the author's artful prose." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Charming ... generous ... vibrant ... reveal[s] something profound about the human need for connection." —Foreword Reviews (starred review)
"A sympathetic but uneven oddity." —Kirkus Reviews
"Sipsworth is a love story about a woman and a mouse. Reason suggests that such a relationship couldn't possibly work, and yet I found myself pulling for this unlikely duo on every page. Simon Van Booy's characters are loaded with charm, resilience, and the deep desire for connection that all mammals share. I loved it." —Ann Patchett
"Through tears, laughter, joy, and pain, I just couldn't stop reading this novel about friendship and second chances. Sipsworth is a marvel—storytelling at its absolute finest." —Marc Levy
"Whimsical, beautifully detailed, and filled with heart, Sipsworth is a slim, sparkling jewel of a novel." —Christina Baker Kline
This information about Sipsworth was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Ken Browar
Simon Van Booy is the award-winning, bestselling author of more than a dozen books for adults and children, including The Illusion of Separateness and The Presence of Absence. Simon is the editor of three volumes of philosophy and has written for The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, and the BBC. His books have been translated into many languages and optioned for film. Raised in rural North Wales, he currently lives in New York where he is also a book editor and a volunteer E.M.T. crew chief.
Link to Simon Van Booy's Website
Name Pronunciation
Simon Van Booy: van boo-ee
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