SOLVED. Adult Fiction. Older lady is poor or choose to live poor in cheap basement, which displeases her adult daughter. Proud to manage on her own, eventually finds love. Read early 1990s. [s]

[Jo-Anne]

as in topic post - fiction older lady poor or chooses to live poor lives in cheap basement eventually finds love. Other details are her adult daughter is not happy about her moving to a basement in maybe not best part of town. older lady feels great pride managing on her own. she does eventually meet a man who is also of the mind of not having or needing much.

[Jo-Anne]

I would live to find this book again. It resonated with me as a young person and now I am older and reevaluating priorities and would love to read this book again.

[Rainbowheart]

When did you read it?

[Jo-Anne]

just over 30 years ago

[Rainbowheart]

Thanks, I'll see what I can find!

Was the story set in modern times?

I notice your profile says you're in Canada. Is that where you read the book? Do you think it took place there?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

What race or ethnicity are the characters?

[Kris]

Jo-Anne, what's the source of her income?
What happened to her husband?

Story's time period and location/ country?

I copied a few book details to the topic header. Feel free to edit it.

[Kris]

A long shot - Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor?

Google search of Goodreads:
site:goodreads.com "fiction" widow lives alone "basement" "daughter" 1980s

[Jo-Anne]

Sorry so late to get back. Moving and no internet. Set in a larger Canadian or US city. Modern times. Well, the 70s or 80s. Characters are caucasian. Plot perhaps had one line on husband if there even was one...even the daughter's displeasure was a shirt mention. Focus was on this lady. How she found furniture even in back alleys sort of thing, made a home for herself.

[Jo-Anne]

Thank you so much for updating header! 💗

[Jo-Anne]

Kris, thanks but not the book. This one she rents a very cheap basement in a very poor part of city. Looks like a great book though and I plan to read it!! ❤

[Peter]

Sounds to me like The Book of Eve

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Kris]

Google Books preview of The Book of Eve by Constance Beresford-Howe - Peter's suggestion:

- https://books.google.com/books?id=5F5...
- There are different cover images.

Kirkus Review:

- "Eve, a dropout from the geriatric generation, walks away from her petulant and exacting husband after 40 years of marriage, with little except the clothes on her back and her 78 dollar pension check. (The scene is Quebec.) She blows most of it on renting a basement where she pads around, remembering her past, thinking about the pleasures of her new freedom and privacy while being ill for days (in the cellar ""it's almost like being buried""). ... considerably younger -- 48 to her 65 -- jaunty, and bibulous Czech refugee upstairs..."

[Jo-Anne]

Kris and Peter- That is the book!! Thanks so much! I am looking forward to reading it again. ❤

[Kris]

Great! Glad you found your book, Jo-Anne.

The Book of Eve (book 1) of The Voices of Eve series by Constance Beresford-Howe - Peter's find.

[Peter]

My first find! Glad I could help.