The Widower's Tale Summary
Julia Glass

The Widower's Tale Overview

The Widower's Tale is a novel by Julia Glass. Percy Darling is a retired Harvard librarian trying to make sense of the changes and technologies that impinge on his 70-year-old life in the affluent enclave of Matlock, Massachusetts. Percy's wife, Poppy, drowned many years ago in the pond on their land when their daughters were young and he still thinks of her every day. Percy has recently donated an old barn on his property for refurbishment to hold the Elves and Fairies preschool where his daughter, Clover, works. Percy is close to his grandson, Robert, son of his younger daughter, Trudy, an oncologist in Boston. Percy surprises himself and everyone around him when he falls in love with a considerably younger woman named Sarah. Their relationship gets complicated and stalls when Sarah gets breast cancer and she marries another man to take advantage of his healthcare benefits. When Robert gets caught being associated with a Harvard campus eco terrorism group, Percy's patience is sorely tested but love prevails and even Sarah might stand another chance of getting back into his life.