Review: Three cheers for Hospice and for this must read book!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 11, 2014
Have a tissue box handy, because this story is a tear jerker and you can tell it was written by an author who experienced first hand the process of letting go of a loved one. It's also a story of triumph of love over fear - which is really the main focus of the book - and sometimes people must be courageous to let love into one's heart, and it's worth it!Lady Ophelia and Andrew, Viscount Stark, meet when she is wading waist deep in a river and he is taking a long walk at the country estate of his friend. There's an immediate attraction, and he ends up escorting her back to the cottage where she lives with her terminally ill mother. Her mother, Lady Darlington, immediately likes Andrew and asks for his assistance. She has two motives: 1) to enjoy the last days of her life by returning to London and 2) to throw Andrew and Ophelia together in hopes to see her daughter settled.Most of the book takes place in London with Ophelia and Andrew getting to know each other, visiting artists, and Lady Darlington imparting words of wisdom to both Ophelia and Andrew. I love the scene where Andrew and Lady Darlington play piano together and she asks him to call her Mama. So touching! Though this book is sad, unless you've lost a loved one very recently, it was not at all depressing. It celebrates a life well lived and focusses on the future of living a life with love that honors the memory of Ophelia's parents. It's a beautiful and heartfelt story.The writing is somewhat fanciful and poetic, but once I got into the rhythm of the story I totally enjoyed it. There are a few explicit scenes, but they're not very long (maybe a paragraph each), so they can be easily skipped/skimmed if that's an issue for you. I so admire the author for raising money for such a worthy organization as Hospice. They are an incredible organization who provides services to the families and people who are terminally ill. Their hands on care and expertise is amazing! I recommend buying this book not only to support Hospice, but also because it's a well written and beautiful reminder to embrace love in your life.