Being a landlord has never appealed to me but the main character in this book, Celia Cassill, is a landlord of a unique 4 apartment dwelling in Brooklyn, and she seems to make it work. Celia is a young widow who is still struggling with the circumstances surrounding her husband's death five years ago. She lives on the ground floor of her building. The other three apartments are occupied by tenants she has picked for their ability to respect boundaries and privacy.
When one tenant asks to sublet to a friend named Hope, Celia has to reexamine her rules, but decides to say yes. The result brings Celia to question herself and the life she has been leading and to open up to the struggles and difficulties faced by her tenants and other people her tenants bring into her life.
The building itself is described over the course of the book and is almost an extra character. My favorite tenant is a retired ferry boat captain who rents the top floor because he can see a slice of the harbor. Celia's relationship with him is charming and protective. I enjoyed this book and expect it will be one I will think about for a long time.
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