A tortoise called Winnifred

I was alerted to this book by Shelfari and thought it sounded good. So, I went online and got myself a copy.

The blurb: When Audrey Flowers learns that her father has been hit on the head by a Christmas tree and is in a coma, she knows what she must do: leave Winnifred her tortoise behind, fly home, make a moving speech at her father's bedside and wait for him to wake up. However, things don't quite work out that way. Instead Audrey finds herself embarking on an extraordinary journey: one full of puzzlement and pain - but one that could also light up her life.

Come, Thou Tortoise unfolds in a world that is not quite our own; a place where you might just live forever if you can avoid the dangers, and where the truth can be hidden in the armrest of your airline seat.

When Audrey arrives back on St Johns Island, she finds out she is too late: her father has already passed. In the days that follow, she relives her past with her father and her uncle Thoby and has to deal with the present. Her pet mouse is missing, her uncle leaves and Judd doesn't know her father has died and wants his Christmas lights back because they are faulty.

In the mean time Winnifred is being looked after by a friend of Audrey's and her boyfriend: an actor who uses her as a skull and a bookmark. She is also remembering the past and wondering how her future will look. She keeps being mistaken for a turtle (she's no mermaid thank you very much) and is fed up with her paper castle.

My verdict: yes, this is a very good book. It's quite quirky and there's love on nearly every single page. Will Audrey and Winnifred meet again? I recommend you read it yourself!