ISBN 0-8129-7099-3
Betta and her husband John had plans to retire early, sell their home in Boston, and move to the Midwest to try a brand new type of life, but those plans were put on hold when John was diagnosed with cancer. Before he died, John made Betta promise to make the move and start again.
As Betta takes on her new life in rural Illinois, she forms new relationships with the delightful boy from next door, a young man finding his way in life, and an eligible local bachelor, renews old relationships with college friends she'd allowed herself to lose touch with, and deals with the grief of losing the relationship that she utterly wrapped herself in for decades. As Betta reflects back and looks ahead, taking chances and helping others, she helps the reader recognize the value in sticking to your choices, the depths that run beneath the surface in the people you meet, and the importance of taking the time to appreciate the small adventures that take place every day.
Personal note: This is one of several books that have been loaned to me by my friends D&J, and it is at least the second, probably the third, that I have not wanted to return. (Actually, I haven't returned this one yet...) This story of life changes, relocating, reflecting, and forging ahead on a new path comes at a rather appropriate time in my own life. I do intend to return this book, but, in the eventual someday event that I find myself in a situation similar to the one that prompted Betta's life changes, I hope that this story wends its way back to me. There are parts that are gut-wrenching for me now and would be even more so then, but a glimpse at my future self tells me that they should serve to provide some comfort as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment