Check out Lunch at the Piccadilly by Clyde Edgerton

Carl Turnage is a sweet middle age man caring for his last living relative, Aunt Lil, who is staying at the Rosehaven Convalescent Center after a fall. Carl checks on her frequently, just as he did for his mother and his Aunt Sarah. His patience, compassion and concern come naturally, although his own life is unremarkable. His work, which involves supervising awning installation, is rarely mentioned, and collecting bluegrass music is his only hobby. Each time he visits Aunt Lil, he has two goals: to convince Aunt Lil that she needs to give up her driver’s license, and to ask the nursing home social worker out on a date.
Despite Rosehaven being a place for restorative therapy and recovery, the nursing home is anything but quiet after L. Ray Flowers arrives. A retired Pentecostal preacher with a knee injury, L. Ray stirs things up with impromptu sermons and also teaches Carl how to play the bass guitar. Together they write songs inspired by the other residents, and perform them on the porch.
After reflecting on how America treats old people, the preacher comes up with a radical idea – to combine churches and nursing homes. He figures that churches are empty buildings during the week anyway, with members who are always looking for ways to help people, and older folks could use more visitors and personal attention. The churches may not feel threatened by a preacher with a wheelchair and his small band of disciples using walkers and canes, but the owner of the nursing home is furious about the ruckus.
As always, Clyde Edgerton’s ear for dialogue perfectly captures the thoughts and conversations of older and younger generations in a small North Carolina town. The culture of the southern Baptist churches are interwoven with some nostalgia, and the quirky characterizations of Aunt Lil’s new friends at Rosehaven are right on target. This quiet uplifting story focuses on the quality of life of nursing home residents in a humane and humorous character-driven story. As a special treat for audiobook listeners, a few folksy bluegrass songs from the book are performed by the author and his band at the end of the recording. Also check out Clyde Edgerton’s previous novels Walking Across Egypt or Raney for thoroughly enjoyable light reading or listening!
Reviewed by Lissa Staley