finished reading

Lonely widowed Jamaican immigrant Hubert Bird spins elaborate tales of an active social life to his daughter in Australia. When she announces a visit, Hubert scrambles to create the reality he made up, leading him to help found a quirky community project to combat loneliness, reach out to an estranged old friend, and explore a new romance. I loved how this story becomes a "found family."  

Ultimately, this is a lovely book about reinventing and reconnecting.  And who hasn't experienced loneliness?

From the publisher:

Hubert Bird is not alone in being alone.
He just needs to realise it.

In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship and fulfilment.

But Hubert Bird is lying.

The truth is day after day drags by without him seeing a single soul.

Until, that is, he receives some good news - good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on.

Now Hubert faces a seemingly impossible task: to make his real life resemble his fake life before the truth comes out.
Along the way Hubert stumbles across a second chance at love, renews a cherished friendship and finds himself roped into an audacious community scheme that seeks to end loneliness once and for all . . .

Life is certainly beginning to happen to Hubert Bird. But with the origin of his earlier isolation always lurking in the shadows will he ever get to live the life he's pretended to have for so long?

#52bookclub prompt 35: title matches lyrics from a song.