Review: Will Brighten Your Day
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 25, 2013
How old is too old to reinvent your life?Grief can turn an active, 60-year-old woman into someone who acts decades older than her true age. If Dorothy lived in a fairy tale she'd make a wish or find a magical amulet and suddenly feel like her old self, but in real life she has to figure out how to feel better on her own. I was intrigued by her gradual transformation and her occasional tumbles into old thought patterns. The path to recovery is rarely a straightforward one, and it was nice to see a character take two steps forward and one step back as she struggles to find her way out of the fog of grief.As much as I was rooting for her to find lasting happiness, the change in Dorothy's habits happens so rapidly that it was a little difficult for me to believe it would be a longterm part of her daily life. When she ignores some troubling information that pops up later on in the plot it had even more trouble believing everything would work out for the best for her. It seems out of character for someone who worries as much as she does earlier on in the plot to ignore the signs that everything might not be as it seems in her world.Dorothy's strong relationship with her adult children and grandchildren gives me hope for her future. Ms. Waysman reveals the unbreakable bond between them with such subtle turns of phrases that I felt as if I was eavesdropping onto real conversations. The ending didn't answer all of my questions, but it was so realistic and heartwarming that it works wonderfully for this tale.I smiled my way through Autumn Blessing. This warm, gentle story is like a cup of hot tea on a chilly afternoon, and I'd recommend it to anyone who needs to read something to brighten their day.Originally posted at Long and Short Reviews