Review: Exquisite Beyond Words, or, "C'est la Vie": Masterfully Written Celebration of Life
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 11, 2014
This is an extraordinary book, exquisite beyond words. It is superbly well-written, following a classic story arc that most writers identify with the shape of a, "W". This author has planned and executed a carefully-constructed, flawless book that clearly has everything it is supposed to have and more.We meet our protagonist, Donna, who is the only character who will accompany us through each twist and turn, each "up and down", literally and figuratively. She is indeed the key to understanding this exquisite story. Her character is dynamic, changing in response to the circumstances she finds herself in. A word of caution: Be careful with  Donna.With her, a German would say, "Der Schein Trügt", appearance deceives. A Frenchman would say simply, "C'est la Vie", that's life. That's life indeed, and this book is a celebration of life. Nowhere is reality more real than when it defies the imagination to comprehend it. This book does exactly that. But know that if you find something in this book that seems outside of the boundary of credibility, at the same time, know that everything in this book happens all the time, every day... but to other people. The book is therefore truly grounded in reality.Where do we go from here?The protagonist, Donna answers her own question when she says, (quote) "I don't think we have much choice...it's that way!"(end of quote) Of course she means there is no turning back, that no matter what happens, you must go on. Yes, at this unexpected turn of events in the book, author Lawrence Grodecki cleverly "arouses" the reader's curiosity to find out what we instinctively would answer in the negative. Can Ben have a healthy, fulfilling relationship with the woman (Donna) he is seeing for relationship counseling/therapy, his psychologist, his therapist?As we read further, we are convincingly presented with one deliciously delightful coincidence after another. At one point, this leads to the very realistic proposition of knowing something that Ben does not know about Donna, and knowing something that Donna does not know about Ben.This comes about naturally, through the relationships of both characters to secondary characters in the book. Of course this makes for attentive, engaged reading. I confess that I used the underlining function of my Kindle to capture some of the foreshadowing that was provided by the author. Nothing happens by chance, every "tidbit" of information, every incident, every person you meet is there for a purpose. This is why I call this book extraordinary, superb, well-written. The hand of a master craftsman and gifted storyteller is clearly evident.Who should read this book? This book is a delightful read for anyone who likes reading books about the complexity of human relationships, and above all, still believes in the power of love. This book is a masterfully written celebration of life and relationships under extraordinary circumstances. Highly recommended.Reviewed by Thomas Jerome BakerAuthor ofHow to Coach a Debate Team (Volume 1)Disclaimer: I was given a digital copy of this book by the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.