"God, I know you can do anything. Please send me a good Christian man to marry. One with decent health insurance, and I will give you all the glory and praise."
-prayer of Cassie Jones, from the novel
I liked this quote because it hints about the plot without giving much away. (I try to never be a "spoiler" in my blogs!) And the dedication pointed out a theme even before the story began.
Out of Warranty was a very pleasant read when I needed something light. The protagonist, Cassie Jones, is a baby boomer facing problems of aging, declining health and mourning her late husband. I can surely identify with the first two but, thank goodness, not the last. I am fortunately not facing the serious health problems Cassie has either, although I am at least 10 years older than she.
The author alternated chapters between Cassie and Jack, the other main character. It was interesting that Cassie's parts are in first person while Jack's are written in second. Cassie and Jack meet at a doctor's office near the beginning of the book and immediately have pretty low opinions of each other. She calls him the curmudgeon and he calls her the "raccoon woman." It is rather intriguing how their similar diagnoses and treatments seem to force them into a friendship.
Being a Christian, I could easily relate to Cassie's prayers and references to God. Since I'm a reader I was delighted that both Cassie and Jack are avid readers and I am familiar with several books and authors they mentioned, such as Pillars of the Earth and James Patterson. I've been through hassles with contractors so I understood Cassie's frustrations in that regard.
I thought Ms. Smith was a new author for me but in looking over her other titles, I have read at least one of her Red Hat series. (In her acknowledgments, she mentions her Red Hat Club friends and I happen to be a Red Hatter, too!) I really enjoyed this novel and will look for others by Haywood Smith. I am rating it a 4 for fun!
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