The Opposite of Maybe

Rosie’s grandmother, Soapie, is hardly your average 88-year-old: she chain-smokes, cheats at Scrabble, gets speeding tickets, and regularly entertains a gentleman caller. She’s also the only family Rosie’s ever known, and as exasperating as Soapie can be, Rosie feels a duty to look after her, as old age begins to slow her down. But the tables are turned when a sprained ankle and an explosive fight with her boyfriend send Rosie, 44, to Soapie’s for a few months. Rosie plans to help prepare the house to be sold and help Soapie find a home healthcare aide or an assisted-living facility, but Soapie bristles, claiming the only assistance she needs is from Tony Cavaletti, a sarcastic, rough-around-the-edges, aspiring landscaper who’s taken up residence in her guest room. When Rosie discovers she’s pregnant, she questions her ability to provide a stable environment for her baby, but as she bonds with Tony, who’s in the midst of his own bitter custody battle, Rosie realizes that the collection of oddballs that has gravitated around Soapie is the best family anybody could ever want. Though the plot doesn’t exactly have any earth-shattering moments, Dawson’s charmingly eccentric cast of characters is at turns lovable and infuriating, ensuring a quick read helmed by a memorable, complex heroine. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary Agency. (Mar.)