A perfect example of 'if these walls could talk'

'A Hundred Small Lessons' by Ashley Hay
'A Hundred Small Lessons' by Ashley Hay
Courtesy of publisher

Every week, The Thread checks in with booksellers around the country about their favorite books of the moment. This week, we spoke with Lori Fazio at R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, Conn.

Ever wondered who lived in your house before you?

Lori Fazio recommends a novel which expertly indulges that curiosity: It's Ashley Hay's "A Hundred Small Lessons."

"You know how you always hear 'if these walls could talk'?" Fazio said. "This is a perfect example of that."

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The book revolves around a house where a woman named Elsie lived for six decades. She raised her family there, grew old, and, after a fall, was moved to a care facility by her children, who sold the house.

A new family moves in, and the young mother, Lucy, senses something in the house.

"I don't mean haunting like a ghost story, but it's this haunting overtone — the new mom has this connection to the previous owner, and it's just beautiful," she said.

"They realize there's this connection, but they don't know who it's to. Their paths start crossing in very small ways, and you're hoping they're going to bump into each other, that they're going to realize they're meant to talk to each other."

A Hundred Small Lessons A Hundred Small Lessons