the setup…
Mona is a workaholic with zero social life, a driven marketing manager for a high powered firm in Calgary. She’s close to getting the promotion to director that will allow her to move from her dismal tiny apartment. But during a client presentation, she loses it and is forced to take a few weeks leave. Mona drowns her sorrows and creates a bigger mess when returning to her Valleyview apartment building and later waking to a fire alarm that she somehow caused. Things get further complicated when Irene, the building manager, falls during evacuation and asks Mona to be the temporary superintendent. She sees it as an opportunity to surreptitiously work with Irene’s realtor niece to make improvements to the building to facilitate its sale with the promise of an apartment in a lovely new building.
the heart of the story…
Valleyview Apartments has 16 units occupied by the quirkiest residents you’ll find. Mona has little to no social skills and now somehow has to gain their trust to help get things in shape. I had a tough time with Mona’s duplicity, especially after she develops meaningful relationships with them, including Sami, the nearby cafe owner who not only helps her but gets involved romantically. Despite that, there are many funny moments and the nicknames she gave to the residents were priceless.
the narration…
Nasim Pedrad delivers a strong, lovely performance in her storytelling and character voice distinctions, especially their unique personalities. I appreciated that a Persian American narrator was used as that’s Mona’s culture.
the bottom line…
I ended up enjoying this story of found family, redemption and renewed purpose. I wasn’t a fan of Mona initially but loved seeing her find her way through failure and taking stock of her life. The journey was often funny but equally heartbreaking at times as the characters became more than caricatures. I’m glad I stuck with it because the payoff was wonderful.
Book Info
- Release Date: August 11, 2026
- Narrator: Nasim Pedrad
- Audio Length: 10 hours, 41 minutes
- Publisher: William Morrow
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