One day Penny was living in the apartment she had occupied for decades. This was her home and she was comfortable.  She knew she was aging and she faced this the best she could.  She felt she was managing until it was decided she wasn't.  Suddenly and abruptly, she is taken from her home to an assisted living home named Six Cedars.  Supposedly this was prearranged by her long-term partner who had predeceased her.  She has no recollection of agreeing to this.  Six Cedars housed only three other residents, the owner, and one other employee.  Initially, she thrived there but things began to worry her.  She suspected something sinister was in place.  Was she right or were her cognitive skills fading?

Skillfully and compassionately told, Iain Reid provides an in-depth look into the life of a woman aging as she was trying to understand her new world in WE SPREAD.  How does one adjust to leaving almost everything behind that has surrounded you for decades and moving into a totally foreign environment? New relationships develop and even though they might be short-lived, perhaps that was better than not having them at all. The concept of time is examined as well.  Is more always better?  Readers follow along as Penny experiences a constant struggle with trying to know what was real and what wasn't.  The one certainty is that she knows what she wants.

I found WE SPREAD to be a poignant, haunting, and thought-provoking story.  It is well worth reading.  Highly recommended.

Book Summary