Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5
Pages: 304
Date Started: 1 January 2023
Date Finished: 4 January 2023
I was drawn to this book on the recommendation of a book group I follow, and the synopsis promised an engaging start to my year of reading. The narrative revolves around Lewis Madigan, a young, unemployed, gay individual who, somewhat reluctantly, finds himself providing end-of-life care for his difficult, homophobic neighbor, Chester Wheeler. Lewis's motivations are primarily financial, and he has to tolerate the insufferable Chester while running errands and being on call. The story is set in motion through exchanges of barbs, bickering, and the push and pull of a tumultuous relationship, with Chester ultimately making a poignant request. The premise revolves around Lewis's journey to fulfill Chester's dying wish: driving him to Arizona in a rusty Winnebago to visit his ex-wife after thirty-two years of estrangement—for the last time. This one-week, two-thousand-mile journey becomes an illuminating experience for Lewis, providing insights into the life and secrets of a man he is only now beginning to understand. It's a story of a neighbor, a stranger, and an unexpected friend, each finding closure on a complex past. The book offers a fast-paced and engaging narrative, but it leans towards a somewhat predictable storyline with fewer unpredictable twists. While I enjoyed the story, I felt it lacked depth in its portrayal of the characters and the reasons behind their actions, beyond the surface-level differences that exist when people become comfortable with each other. Additionally, the resolution of problems in the story seemed to occur more swiftly than one might expect in real-life scenarios. Nonetheless, the book did effectively address themes of forgiveness, grace, trust, despair, and end-of-life situations. It was a well-executed story, but I couldn't help wishing for a bit more depth to truly delve into the intricacies of the characters and their experiences.
Favorite lines from the book:
It's weird how you think you know what a person thinks and how they feel, but then it turns out you only knew what they chose you to know. How there are two whole people in there, and one is a perfect stranger.
When you catch a glimpse of your reflection unexpectedly, it's like seeing yourself from the outside.
A human brain is a very odd place to live your life. And that's really all I have to say about that.
Treat people well, otherwise, you might die and no one will notice or find it especially relevant to their life.
I was dismantling a man's entire life. Going through everything that had ever meant anything to him, and deeming it all unworthy of keeping. In most cases, unworthy of keeping by anybody.
