Under One Roof

de Barry Martin, Philip Lerman

"The inspiring true story of the bond between a feisty octogenarian and the man in charge of building an enormous shopping mall around her home. Edith Macefield achieved folk hero status in 2006 when she turned down $1 million to sell her home to make way for a commercial development in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. It didn't matter that her tiny house was surrounded by rubble and graffiti. It was home. Barry Martin respected that, and when he took the job as construction supervisor for the shopping mall that was being erected around Edith's little house, he determined to make things as easy as he could for Edith. He gave her his cell number and told her to call if she needed anything. And she did. The day Edith asked Barry to drive her to a hair appointment, an unlikely friendship was sparked, one that changed them both forever. As Barry helps Edith through the last days of her life, she helps him deal with the effects of the Alzheimer's that is diminishing his beloved father. She learns to laugh and let go. He learns about compassion and grace--and the comparable joys of Walker's shortbread cookies"--