Both children were safe, happy, and loved, and Annabelle could see it written all over them, that sense of family she’d never really known. It made her heart ache, but not with envy or sadness, although she’d have been lying if she said she’d never felt either of those things at first, in those early days. What she felt now was a sense of pride at the daughter she’d helped to create with Billy, even though they couldn’t be the ones to raise her. It was enough, in this moment, to know her child was thriving.
Annabelle watched the party for hours until it turned dark and the guests went home, one by one, even the stragglers carrying sleepy children and paper plates full of leftover cake. Only Maeve remained in the yard. Ignoring calls to come inside, she lay on top of the picnic table and stared up at the sky, hands resting behind her head. Annabelle rubbed her eyes. She had a long drive ahead of her, and so she started her car. She hadn’t realized she’d stayed so late. Hers was the only car left on the street. She pulled away from the curb and eased down the road, waiting to put on her headlights until she was at the stop sign, the house and the yard and the girl who looked so much like her, a beautiful memory, in the rearview mirror.
Acknowledgments
IT IS WITH SINCERE AFFECTION AND ADMIRATION THAT I’D like to thank the following:
Priya Doraswamy—For never tiring of emails titled “I have this new idea for a book and I’ve written a 10,000-word synopsis instead of doing what I should be doing . . .”
Lucia Macro—For hearing the term “dog sweater patterns” and being just as excited about it as I was.
Asante Simons—For being very patient and also for totally understanding my love of early 2000s pop music.
Matt and Jude—For being my best friends and dreaming big right along with me.
My mom and dad—For literally always telling me it’ll be okay.
Brittany—For listening to all my very long and complainy (yes, that’s a word, sort of) voice memos and responding in kind. I love you.
P.S. Insights, Interviews & More . . .*
About the Author
* * *
Meet Annie England Noblin
About the Book
* * *
Knitting Patterns
Reading Group Guide
Annie England Noblin’s Dogs
About the Author
Meet Annie England Noblin
ANNIE ENGLAND NOBLIN lives with her son, husband, and four rescued bulldogs in the Missouri Ozarks. She graduated with an MA in creative writing from Missouri State University and currently teaches English at Arkansas State University. Her poetry has been featured in such publications as the Red Booth Review and the Moon City Review, and she co-edited and co-authored the coffee-table book Gillioz: Theatre Beautiful.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
About the Book
Knitting Patterns
If you would like to knit your own cat scarf or dog sweater, look no further!
Sherbet’s Knitted Cat Scarf Pattern
Materials:
Size 6 needles
Worsted weight yarn, two colors
Instructions:
BODY OF SCARF:
With MC, CO 8 sts.
Work garter stitch until you have 4 ridges.
Change to CC, work garter stitch until you have 4 ridges.
Work stripe sequence until you have 9 stripes. BO stitches and sew ends together.
TAIL 1:
CO 8 stitches in MC. Work stripe sequence until you have four stripes. BO.
TAIL 2:
CO 8 stitches in MC. Work stripe sequence until you have five stripes. BO.
TASSELS (OPTIONAL):
Cut 8 four-inch pieces of MC and 6 of CC. Each piece is one tassel.
Line tail 1 up with tail 2, so that the top of tail 1 matches the last stripe of the same color, right sides facing. Center tails over the join in the main body of the scarf. Sew tail 1 to tail 2 AND scarf at the same time. Sew top of tail 2 to edge of scarf.
Put scarf on cat. Watch cat roll around as if being tortured. Take funny pictures. Remove scarf before cat plots your death.
NOTE: This scarf is NOT Sherbet approved.
Happy’s Knitted Dog Sweater Pattern
Materials:
Yarn required: 6.5 oz. sports weight yarn. You can break this up into two different colors if you want a contrasting neck and sleeves.
Needles: Size 8 (5mm), Size 8 (5mm) circular needle/16″
Stitch Holder
Size: S (L) Chest size: 13 ¼″ (25″) Length: 9 ¼″ (21 ¾″)
Gauge: 18 sts and 36 rows equals 4″ in garter stitch
(The garter stitch is knitting every row.)
Abbreviations:
k—knit
p—purl
k2tog—knit 2 together
Ssk—slip, slip, knit (slip next 2 sts as if to knit, one at a time, to right needle into fronts of these 2 sts and k them together.)
M1—make 1 stitch. (An increase worked by lifting the horizontal thread lying between the needles and placing it onto the left needle. Work this new stitch through the back loop.)
Instructions:
BACK:
Cast on 35 (51) sts with the straight needles.
Knit in the garter stitch, increasing 1 stitch at both ends of the row, every 6th (4th) row, 3 (14) times.
There are now 41 (79) stitches on the needle.
Continue knitting in the garter stitch for 5 ¾″ (14 ¼″).
LEG OPENINGS:
Place a marker at the end of the last row. This will mark the beginning of the leg openings.
Decrease Row: k2, ssk, k to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2
Repeat the decrease row every other row 3 more times—33 (71) sts.
Knit 10 rows.
Increase Row: k2, M1, k to last 2 sts, M1, k2.
Repeat the increase row every other row 3 more times—41 (79) sts.
Place a marker at each end of the last row to mark the end of the leg openings.
Knit 4 rows.
Work even in the garter stitch for 1″ (5″).
Place 41 (79) sts on a holder.
FRONT:
Using straight needles, cast on 19 (33) sts.
Knit in the garter stitch for 1 ¼″ (6 ¼″).
Shape the leg openings as you did for the back.
Place 19 (33) sts on a holder.
COLLAR:
Using the circular needle, knit across the Back stitches on the holder, then the Front stitches—60 (112) sts.
Place a marker and join for working in the round. Size L only: *k2, k2tog, k3, k2tog; repeat from *, end with k4—88 sts.
Both Sizes: Work even in rounds of k2, p2 until collar is 4″ (7″).
Bind off loosely following the ribbing pattern.
SLEEVES:
At each leg opening, with right side facing, pick up and knit—28 sts.
Knit in k2, p2 until the sleeve measures 2 ½″ (3 ½″).
Bind off loosely following ribbing pattern.
FINISHING:
Sew the side seams on either side of the leg openings.
Sew the sleeve seams and weave in the ends.
Hope this knitted dog sweater keeps your pup warm all winter.
Put the sweater on your grateful pup. He or she will love dressing up for you. Be sure to watch as your dog casts superior glances toward your cat, who is now most likely plotting your death for the scarf.
Reading Group Guide
In what ways could Maeve’s parents have handled telling her about her adoption differently? They waited until she was six, and she learned from a tattle-tale cousin. Could this have been avoided?
How did learning about Annabelle’s backstory affect your enjoyment of the book? Was learning about her decision interesting to you?
Ultimately, did Annabelle do her best for Maeve? Why do you think she decided to leave her the property?
At what point in the novel did you suspect that things weren’t
right between Gary and Yulina? Why do you suppose Yulina suffered in silence for so long?
Small towns are generally supposed to be friendlier than big cities, but is this always the case? In what ways are small towns more welcoming? In what ways are they not?
“Even cats can have broken hearts,” says Yulina. Do you think this is true? Can animals really have broken hearts? Can they sense good and bad in people? (Remember, the cat knocks Gary over!)
At first Maeve is bitter toward Annabelle. Is this justified? Why or why not?
Annabelle was known as the animal lady, taking in strays. Was this a result of her having given up her child? Is this a trait that can be carried from generation to generation?
At one point Maeve thinks, “Wasn’t it time my Real Life started?” Is Maeve’s postponement of her Real Life a generational one? Has she put off facing Real Life because of her birth situation? Were her parents too easy on her, or was this something over which they had no control?
Did you suspect the secret behind the St. Francis Knitting Club?
No Annie England Noblin book would be complete without some photos of her dogs . . .
This is my Boston Terrier, Ruthie, who I lost in 2015. The first is a Halloween photo, the second is Ruthie in the prayer blanket knitted for her by an animal rescue group after she got sick.
This handsome fellow is Rufus in his Christmas sweater!
Praise for the Work of Annie England Noblin
St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets
“Feel-good fiction at its finest. Annie England Noblin has crafted an utterly entertaining tale of unexpected chances and small-town secrets, and it’s as sweet and comforting as a hand-knit sweater and a warm puppy in your lap.”
—Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author
“Noblin’s masterful touch hits the sweet spot of humor and tragedy in this heartfelt book about the truest meaning of family, friends, abandoned dogs, and love.”
—Jacqueline Sheehan, New York Times bestselling author of Lost & Found and The Tiger in the House
“Lively and heartfelt, the characters—both human and four-legged—in Annie England Noblin’s St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets come alive.”
—Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author
“Dogs, yarn, family secrets, a touch of romance, and a sisterhood of strong and caring women. St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets is as easy to love as a newborn puppy and just as irresistible.”
—Marie Bostwick, New York Times bestselling author of Just in Time
“Annie England Noblin is an incredibly gifted storyteller. St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets is heartfelt, charming, and funny. There’s never a dull moment.”
—Meg Donohue, USA Today bestselling author of You, Me, and the Sea
The Sisters Hemingway
“A fun read for anyone who loves a family drama, with wit and heart to go around.”
—Booklist
“[This] heartwarming story of strength of family will please fans and newcomers alike.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Its warm, engaging tone and happy ending for all will appeal to readers of Susan Wiggs or Mary Alice Monroe.”
—Library Journal
Pupcakes
“Readers are in for a sweet treat.”
—USA Today
“Fans of Noblin’s canine-themed tales will beg for more!”
—Library Journal
Sit! Stay! Speak!
“Readers of Debbie Macomber will enjoy Noblin’s first novel. It’s an enjoyable story full of laughter, tears, and just plain fun.”
—Library Journal
“Will delight fans of Mary Kay Andrews and contemporary women’s fiction.”
—Booklist
Also by Annie England Noblin
The Sisters Hemingway
Pupcakes
Just Fine with Caroline
Sit! Stay! Speak!
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
ST. FRANCIS SOCIETY FOR WAYWARD PETS. Copyright © 2020 by Annie England Noblin. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Cover design by Yeon Kim
Cover photograph © Look Studio/Shutterstock
Dog images throughout © Erik Lam/Shutterstock, Inc.
Cat images throughout © 5 second Studio/Shutterstock, Inc.
FIRST EDITION
Digital Edition JANUARY 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-274832-4
Version 11082019
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-274831-7
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