Last known address (by Elizabeth Wrenn)

(Amazon UK link)

Every so often I pick up an interesting-looking book at the local church booksale, or perhaps a charity shop. I had not previously come across Elizabeth Wrenn, but the cover of ‘Last known address’ must have looked appealing five and a half years ago when I bought it for fifty cents. It has been on my to-be-read shelf since then, and I finally picked it up to read a few days ago.

I was quickly drawn into the story, which is set in the United States. There are three women, about to embark on a road trip. The main reason is that the youngest of them, CC, has inherited a house. It needs a lot of work doing, but she hopes eventually to sell it. Her husband died a couple of years earlier, and she’s still grieving him; so the thought of doing something new feels like a positive step forward.

She is accompanied by her two closest friends, Meg and Shelly. Meg is a school teacher who was looking forward to a short break when her husband left a note saying he had left her. She’s in shock, and still hoping he might return. Shelley is an outgoing entrepreneur who’s been married and divorced more than once. Until recently she was quite well-off, but something went wrong with a recent deal, and she’s now almost penniless.

The three have talked for years about going away together to do something different, but it’s never happened before. They’re in Meg’s rather elderly car, and she’s not entirely sure that it’s going to hold out for the lengthy journey. She’s correct in this, as it breaks down before they’ve gone very far, and they find themselves in a very small town, with a helpful mechanic whose father runs a diner and a motel. And the father, Purdy, whose wife died suddenly a year or so back, finds himself oddly attracted to CC…

They also agree to take on a passenger, a runaway who has been discovered…

There’s a hint of tension when the three arrive at CC’s house. There’s no electricity, and there’s evidently someone sleeping outside, who has access to the house. It never felt too stressful, however, and I liked the way this story is not just resolved, but brings out another character who plays an important role in the book. 

One important subplot involves CC’s daughter Kathryn, who works hard in a supermarket to support her young daughter Lucy. Lucy adores her grandmother and has agreed to send her letters. Lucy does not enjoy school and has a very hard time with both reading and writing. But Kathryn has become somewhat distant with CC and refuses to get in touch with her. Shelly has a sister whom she hasn’t spoken to for years, and that story slowly unfolds too, with some surprises along the way.

It’s really a very engaging book, although it meanders quite slowly through the days, with plenty of trivia - or so it seems. But the writing is excellent, and the smallest details help to distinguish the main characters, to the extent that I felt as if I knew them well by the time I was about half way through. Each one has viewpoint characters, as do other more minor characters, as their stories progress. 

There’s some low-key humour in the conversations and one or two of the incidents; there’s a lot of poignancy, too. And there’s some excellent exploration of relationships, and how stressful it can be sharing a house with someone rather than just meeting them for a few hours at a time.

Inevitably the three women find new things about themselves, and come to decisions that they weren’t expecting. Shelly manages to find a new role in life, and starts to wonder if men aren’t all as bad as they seem. CC takes tentative steps towards healing of her emotions, though she also goes through a very shocking experience, which makes her rethink her priorities. And Meg, who doesn’t hear a thing from her husband, is able to look at her marriage and her role in it more dispassionately. 

It’s quite a long book and it wasn’t one I could read in lengthy sections - my mind started to wander after a few chapters. But overall I liked it very much, and would recommend it to anyone who likes character-based women’s fiction, and who doesn’t mind a slow-moving pace.

Review copyright 2026 Sue's Book Reviews