After the deadly 2011 earthquakes in Christchurch, Eddy Smallbone must naviate the ruins of his hometown along with the ruins of his person a life. A Catholic-school dropout, Eddie is trying to break free from his eccentric uncle and mourn the death of his dog. Eddy starts a pet-sitting business, and meets an extraordinary cast of character. Meanwhile, his former girlfriend is back in town and his best friend is suffering from a mysterious illness....

"A young lawyer wakes up the morning after a work gala with no memory of how she got home the previous night and must figure out what, exactly, happened-and how much she's willing to put up with to make her way to the top of the corporate ladder."--

"Accepting the mundane realities of her life, the Funeral Cryer, avoided by fellow villagers because of the stigma attached to her job, when things could not be bleaker, takes a leap of faith that changes everything for the better."--

"Joe-Nathan likes the two parts of his name separate, just like his dinner and dessert. Mean Charlie at work sometimes calls him Joe-Nuthin. But Joe is far from nothing. Joe is a good friend, he's good at his job, good at making things and good at following the rules, and he's learning how to do lots of things by himself. Joe's mother knows there are a million things in life he isn't prepared for. While she helps guide him every day, she's also writing...