I got this book out of the library to read for the Monterey Book Club, but had to have Len return it for me when I suddenly flew to Indiana to help Sierra after her accident. I was about a quarter of the way into it, and just thought I could let it go. But it was a good story, although kind of slow and methodical, I was enjoying it. Lo and behold, when I was ready to come home from Sierra's, it became available on Libby! So I was able to listen to it during my long trip home to St. George.
Indiana and Sierra's accident were all-consuming and I had no time for reading and little time for reflection. It was such a nice escape to know I had the perfect "read" for the LONG trip home through all four time zones... Indiana is Eastern, I stopped in Chicago, which is Central, then to LAX, which is Pacific, and finally landed in St. George which is on Mountain time. Whew! And it is a slow enough story and a gentle story, so when I was sleepy, I easily turned it off for a snooze. When I got home to peaceful St. George, it was fun to finish it off as I walked my wonderful routes around here.
The beautiful relationships in this story were very interesting. And I honestly didn't know which ones were going to survive, and which ones would dissolve. Ultimately, though, the characters chose the high road and made morally sound choices. I wondered, though, if the two main characters, Bob and Lucy, wouldn't choose love... I could have made a case for that, since their relationship was so rewarding to each of them. However, the fallout would have been terrible. And it's a mature author who can lead us to that conclusion...The author thoughtfully explored "ghost relationships" within a marriage, which was interesting to think about. I really enjoyed the stories of the unrecorded lives and the musings about the purpose of life. They were good people struggling with moral choices and it was interesting and relatable to have a window into their thinking.