Review: ...and a little of that human touch
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 25, 2012
Not everyone is a Bruce Springsteen fan. However, those who do enjoy the Boss's music (such as myself) will be quick to note the lyrical reference to his 1992 song "Human Touch." Springsteen asserts in the song that "I just want to feel you in my arms/Share a little of that human touch/Feel a little of that human touch." Sandra Ross indirectly incorporates this heartfelt paean in her story "Moving On With Brock: A Passionate Second Chance Romance" and creates a moving tale of one woman's basic desire to fulfill Springsteen's lyrical edict.Ross's protagonist, Portia, has suffered a twofold cruelty: the death of her husband in a home burglary gone awry and the subsequent miscarriage of her unborn child. The author successfully explores universal themes of loss, longing, love, honor, self-respect, and fear of the unknown by slowly building the budding relationship between Portia and her co-protagonist, Brock, into an outpouring of emotional and physical intimacy, while skillfully incorporating said concepts into the story.Portia's emotions are still raw, and Ross acknowledges this fact by making empathy the cornerstone of Brock's character. This allows the author to explore the burgeoning feelings each character has for the other. Brock's ability to draw Portia into their present-day relationship while being cognizant of her vulnerability exemplifies the decency and love that Portia remembered about Gideon, and this, in turn, allows her to love another man as fiercely and as completely as she did with her late husband.Human beings and their relationships with one another are not static. "Moving On With Brock" is a testament to one woman's perseverence in the face of life. Ross successfully demonstrates to the reader initial denial, then anger, then grief, then gradual acceptance of events that happen within one's lifetime, and subsequent self-discovery of the innate capacity for love, no matter how temporary it may last. All of this makes "Moving On With Brock" a well-paced, enjoyable read.