At Last Count
Paisley has OCD and needs to count and check on things in 8s. This compulsion can take over her life, but she’s managed to create a semblance of order that she can control. When the Toronto apartment building where she’s lived for years is closing, she needs to find a new place, but struggles to move on. She may be able to return to her childhood home that she inherited on Amherst Island, but the lawyer on her case, Garnet Mulligan, is the tormenter from her youth–and memories of him aren’t the only difficult ones she’s dealing with.
Through dual timelines, we learn of Paisley’s difficult childhood, her mother’s mental illness, her parents’ struggles, and the bullying she endured. But facing her past can help her move forward, and Garnet may be able to help. I loved the sensitive depiction of a woman with a brain that wars with itself--but also someone who can find beauty in her differences.
This post may include affiliate links. That means if you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Please see Disclosures for more information.
Publisher’s Description
Paisley Ratchford is trying to keep it together, but her world is about to be turned upside down: In six weeks, the Toronto apartment building she lives in will be demolished. Thirty-nine years old, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to, she tries to regain possession of her childhood home on Amherst Island, a tight-knit community at the eastern end of Lake Ontario.
Doubly unfortunate for Paisley, the lawyer assigned to assist her is her old classmate and tormentor, Garnet Mulligan. It’s more than enough to reignite the obsessive-compulsive disorder that has only ever offered Paisley a semblance of control. Her old compulsion to count in sets of eight had little effect on thwarting her bullies, the crisis engulfing her parents, and her mother’s mental illness—all of which return to haunt her.
Having Garnet represent her case feels risky, but the impending eviction forces her to take a chance, and it pays off: by facing Garnet and her past, she learns that, although her OCD will never disappear, it can be managed, especially if she’s got a shot at a future, a roof over her head, and the possibility of love.
At Last Count is a wise and often laugh-out-loud funny tale that proves we don’t always need to believe everything our brain tells us.
