Remarkable read, what really matters.
It was utterly fantastic, reading about Louise’s life was better than I expected. Louise is superstitious, so if your name is double initials you are lucky. If you have triple initials, watch out!! Louise is so content with her life and her routine that it anything gets added or subtracted from it, it is like a major catastrophe. When her husband inherits a house in Florida, her husband Clay wonders about early retirement and moving south. Health issues have been an issue in past generations so Clay feels that this might “be a sign” but Louise does not want to leave her established and dependable life behind. So much confusion and honesty about their relationship is spilled out onto the pages, the truthfulness and candor expressed from the characters yet their feelings were not being addressed. Clay just wants to retire and move away from the rat-race and Louise just wants Clay to listen, I mean really listen. It’s a dance they are doing; we all have done the dance if you have ever been in a relationship. You talk and you think the other person is listening but they’re not really listening….I mean really listening with their heart and soul. Bette does a great job expressing this that it just thrills me to see this in print without deep sobbing and other excess emotions. Louise has a past with some deeper issues and she needs some reassurance and she needs that reassurance from Clay. Will he ever be able to really listen to her? What parts of her past is Louise worried about? Moving to Florida, Louise is sure that her life will never be the same as it was in New Jersey. Without her family, friends and familiar shops, what will she do in Florida? As they head south with Aunt Rose, Louise’s life is just getting started. Oh and Aunt Rose, you will love her!!!
I whipped through this book one afternoon as I couldn’t wait to read more about Louise. Aunt Rose had me in stitches. I would love to meet this lady with her snappy attitude as she reminded me of Mike’s mom on the show Mike & Molly. I didn’t want them to drop her off as I knew I would miss her. From the beginning of the book, I was caught up in the comings and goings of Louise and the people she was connected to. I laughed, I cried, I paged through the book slowly as I was afraid of what I might find in the next page and I snickered quite a few times. What a great way to spend the afternoon.
