Four people's lives flow together

The beginning of Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor was sort of sad, so it was hard for me to keep reading, but I'm glad I did. Elderly Aggie Duncan can't keep her tiny, run-down Sleepy Time Motel going, so she regretfully decides to put it up for sale. Within a few days, the motel has some guests: Willow (whose mom deserted her) and her dad, who wants to buy the motel; Loretta and her parents, who are trying to learn more about Loretta's birth mother; and Kirby and his mother, who are on their way to the latest reform school for Kirby when their car breaks down. As we get to know the characters, they slowly develop friendships and help each other out in ways big and small. By the end of the book, the four stories come together in a very satisfactory way - everything isn't 100% great, but that's real life and that's okay.