“An Unlikely Visitor” by Joanna Cannon – Book Review @simonandschuster.bsky.social #BookSky #AnUnlikelyVisitor #BookReview

Elderly Margaret, a recent widow, is adrift. Without her husband Derek by her side, she is rudderless and bereft. Margaret has known a lot of heartbreak in her life. When her only daughter was just eleven years of age, she went missing. Jeanie went out on her paper round one morning and never returned…

The narrative of this book has dual timelines. One is the present, and one when Jeanie first went missing over four decades earlier.

Now Margaret spends most of her time alone. She goes out to the shops one day and returns to her house to find a very ‘unlikely visitor’. Together, she and her visitor seek to find answers to what happened to Jeanie all those years ago.

Joanna Cannon has tackled some serious and difficult subjects in this novel. She handles them all with a deep and abiding empathy, more than a touch of magical realism, and sometimes adds just a dash of humour. Cannon’s writing deftly balances sadness and hope, and leaves you with the notion that you never really lose the people that you love for they reside in your heart forever.

Simultaneously a poignant and hope-filled novel of a calibre that fans of this author have come to expect. A comforting and life-affirming exploration of loss, grief, love, and family, this was not my favourite read by this author, but it comes close.

My “TEN Before The End” – Book 1

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Scribner/Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss.

Published October 27, 2026
Publisher: Scribner / Simon & Schuster

ISBN: 9781668232187    –   336 pages

 Joanna Cannon’s first two novels, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep and Three Things about Elsie, were both Sunday Times bestsellers and Richard and Judy picks.

Joanna left school at fifteen with one O-level and worked her way through many different jobs – barmaid, kennel maid, pizza delivery expert – before returning to school in her thirties and qualifying as a doctor. Her work as a psychiatrist and interest in people on the fringes of society continue to inspire her writing, and Joanna currently volunteers for Arts for Health, an organization bringing creative arts to NHS staff and patients.

She lives in the Peak District with her family and her dog.

Connect with Joanna Cannon via Twitter, her website, or Instagram.