BLESSINGS (2002)

Two misunderstood people -- an elderly, wealthy widow living a cloistered life on her estate and its young, just-out-of-prison caretaker -- embark on an unlikely friendship when a baby is abandoned on their doorstep. Quindlen's novel is small in scope, more a character study than a page-turner, but the author treats her protagonists and their hardships with such tenderness it's impossible not to grow fond of them. There are no surprises in Blessings for Quindlen fans -- she has an innate understanding of families and doesn't try to explore beyond her comfort zone. But what she does, she does very well.