The Road to Tender Hearts
On sale
21st May 2026
Price: £10.99
‘A moving, unforgettable story about the power we have to change our lives’ Alison Espach, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding People
‘I loved every page of this wild, weird, big-hearted book’ Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
‘Will live on in your heart long after the book is over’ Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo’s Got Money Troubles
US National Indie and USA Today Bestseller
New England Book Award Winner || May Indie Next Pick
Featured on Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
People Magazine Top Books of 2025
New York Times Best American Road Trip Novels
An NPR and Lit Hub Best Book of the Year
At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left – he’s had three heart attacks already.
But when PJ reads the obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he’s going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back.
Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also thinks he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter who’s adrift in her twenties, to come along to babysit. And there’s one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home.
This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for – a fresh shot at love and parenting – but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It’s very possible his heart can’t take it.
BUCKLE IN FOR THE ROAD TRIP OF A LIFETIME
‘Absurdly over-the-top in plot, yet warms like a heated seat’ The New York Times
‘Miraculous’ John Irving
‘An ABSOLUTE MUST READ!! . . . Brilliant and heartwarming’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Laughed out loud and also sobbed uncontrollably’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A rare and special novel . . . an extraordinary reading experience from beginning to end!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Some stories find a way to dig down deep into your heart, burrow there, and then stay for good. I think this will be one of those for me’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘There is really no way to put my love for this book into words’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I loved every page of this wild, weird, big-hearted book’ Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
‘Will live on in your heart long after the book is over’ Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo’s Got Money Troubles
US National Indie and USA Today Bestseller
New England Book Award Winner || May Indie Next Pick
Featured on Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
People Magazine Top Books of 2025
New York Times Best American Road Trip Novels
An NPR and Lit Hub Best Book of the Year
At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left – he’s had three heart attacks already.
But when PJ reads the obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he’s going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back.
Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also thinks he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter who’s adrift in her twenties, to come along to babysit. And there’s one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home.
This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for – a fresh shot at love and parenting – but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It’s very possible his heart can’t take it.
BUCKLE IN FOR THE ROAD TRIP OF A LIFETIME
‘Absurdly over-the-top in plot, yet warms like a heated seat’ The New York Times
‘Miraculous’ John Irving
‘An ABSOLUTE MUST READ!! . . . Brilliant and heartwarming’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Laughed out loud and also sobbed uncontrollably’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A rare and special novel . . . an extraordinary reading experience from beginning to end!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Some stories find a way to dig down deep into your heart, burrow there, and then stay for good. I think this will be one of those for me’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘There is really no way to put my love for this book into words’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Reviews
A long-suffering family finds joy. A clairvoyant cat has premonitions of death and other supernatural talents. Vultures are hoping two orphaned children will stay alive. A dead daughter's hat talks to her father. A miraculous novel - an actual and spiritual road trip you won't forget
A feel-good, feel-sad, warm, dark, and funny road-trip story, in the grand tradition of Little Miss Sunshine . . . I fell in love with the characters individually but also as one big, messy family, which is what this tenderhearted book is all about
The Road to Tender Hearts is the ultimate road trip novel: a zany, heartfelt blend of dysfunction, humor, healing, and Annie Hartnett's signature poignancy and wit. This story of family, forgiveness, and moving forward is a balm for anyone who's ever been too hard on themselves, offering a compassionate reminder that we're all just figuring it out as we go. I was moved, delighted, and captivated from start to finish