Annie Hartnett- The Road to Tender Hearts- Podcast Interview

Annie Hartnett discusses the inspiration behind her quirky road trip novel The Road to Tender Hearts and why she breaks all the rules in writing her stories.

Annie Hartnett joins me to discuss her latest bestselling novel, The Road to Tender Hearts, and the inspiration behind this road trip story. We explore the heartfelt and humorous moments that showcase a wonderfully quirky found family, which even includes a psychic cat.

She also shares the surprising real-life inspirations for her unforgettable characters and explains how literary mischief is woven into their worlds.

In this quirky conversation, Annie and I discuss:

Why Annie made a death-predicting cat named Pancakes the emotional engine of the novel—and how a real-life nursing home cat named Oscar inspired this unforgettable character.
How playing with point of view and narrator’s voice keeps her writing fresh, and why she’s unconcerned with grammar “rules.”
How Annie’s own cross-country trip in her twenties helped shape the emotional core of this incredible road trip story.

This week, I’m sharing an accompanying book list of 29 books about road trips, including new releases and backlist titles, that speak to the ripple effects of substance use across families and generations.

The Road to Tender Hearts Book Summary

At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left—he’s had three heart attacks already.

But when PJ reads the obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he’s going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back.

Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also thinks he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter who’s adrift in her twenties, to come along to babysit. And there’s one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home.

This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for—a fresh shot at love and parenting—but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It’s very possible his heart can’t take it.

Meet Annie Hartnett

Annie Hartnett is the author of Unlikely Animals, which won the Julia Ward Howe Prize for fiction and was longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Her debut, Rabbit Cake, was a finalist for the New England Book Award and a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. She’s received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. Annie co-leads the Accountability Workshops for writers with author Tessa Fontaine. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and dog.

Hit the Road with Annie Hartnett

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BONUS BOOK LIST: 29 Books About Road Trips to Read Now

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett

Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett

Red Dog Farm by Nathaniel Ian Miller

Married with Children

The Frightening and Wonderful Things That Will Happen to You When You Publish Your First Novel by Rufi Thorpe