Queen of Hearts

Granny Lincoln has spent years living on her own terms as a proud, independent widow. When a stroke leaves the seventy-nine-year-old in need of daily care, she makes her own choice about who will stay with her: her twelve-year-old granddaughter, Wilma. The two have never been close, and Granny's peppery temper does not soften just because she needs help, so sharing a house becomes a test for both of them. Written by the husband-and-wife team Vera and Bill Cleaver, this quiet family novel follows a girl learning what looking after an aging relative really asks of her, and what it means to grow old. It was a finalist for the 1979 National Book Award.