The Way We Weren’t

Fox (Heart Conditions) explores an unlikely friendship in this quirky outing. Marcie Malone, 43, is devastated by a miscarriage, though it doesn’t seem to faze her husband, Will. On her way to work one day, she decides to head south from Atlanta and ends up in southern Florida. After passing out on a beach (the result of hydrocodone and exhaustion), Marcie wakes up to a crotchety 70-something man named Herman Flint. A lifelong resident, he’s quick to point out that sleeping on a beach isn’t an intelligent move. After Marcie learns her car—which holds her wallet, keys, and cell phone—has been towed, Herman reluctantly offers Marcie his spare bedroom. The two seem at first to have nothing in common, but family losses have hit them both hard, and they forge an unlikely friendship. As they begin to heal in each other’s company, both Marcie and Flint reconnect to parts of their pasts they thought were long since gone—and find the courage to move forward. Fox’s sharp storytelling will endear Marcie and Herman to readers, and a solid support cast (especially bar owner Darla) adds some heft. It’s a simple story, but the author gets it just right. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Nov.)