Review by MamieReads4Fun -- A Long Dark Rainbow
-
MamieReads4Fun
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 14 Oct 2020, 08:11
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 13
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mamiereads4fun.html
- Latest Review: East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick
- Reading Device: B00IKPYKWG
Review by MamieReads4Fun -- A Long Dark Rainbow
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Long Dark Rainbow" by Michael Tappenden.]
A Long Dark Rainbow by Michael Tappenden is a quirky little gem that explores friendship, sex, and love at an older age. When Alex, a retired art historian, and Sam, a sophisticated divorced woman happen to bump into each other many years after their first meeting, they struggle with what to do with their feelings. Dating rules have changed over the years, and at first, they are unsure if they should try to figure it out or just give up and not change their current life status. Alex is a seventy-year-old bachelor living in a humble, almost shabby apartment. His main companion is a statue of Dionysus with whom he shares his inner-most thoughts and feelings. In contrast, Sam is a chic seventy-year-old divorced mother of two living quite comfortably in a well to do modern style house. Their styles of living seem to mimic their outward appearance as well as their personalities, and this is what makes their relationship believable. They both benefit from the other's strengths and weaknesses and self-doubt.
As it often does, love interferes and finds a way to bring them together again. The struggles of being older in a modern dating world are explored with humor and whimsy. Filled with flaws and blemishes, they are presented as people who have lived a full life. They both have pasts that catch them off guard in their new and current relationship. The title, A Long Dark Rainbow, is a fit for these characters as we discover their pasts and arc our way through their life journey, and explore their present.
For me, this book receives a 4 out of 4-star rating. It is both charming and refreshing to see older characters find love and accept each other for who they are now. I enjoyed Alex's and Sam's realistic reflection of their older bodies in the mirror and the insecurity they face as older people whose looks are gone. They are real people who have lived a long time and have picked up a few scars and wrinkles along the way. They journey onward together and become so much more than when they were alone and almost forgotten about because of their age. Their self-doubt and self-worth are presented graciously.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are believable and honest. This story takes the reader on a journey from the start of a new relationship and figuring out who you are to how far you are willing to go and change for another person. Along the way, the past catches up with them and tests whether their new relationship is fragile and will break or secure enough to handle the bumps.
I would recommend this book to adults, especially women who are in their 50's or older. The charm and whit of Alex and Sam's characters as they navigate through their new relationship is honest and enduring. Older single people will relate to the characters as they learn about themselves in their second act.
******
A Long Dark Rainbow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Long Dark Rainbow by Michael Tappenden is a quirky little gem that explores friendship, sex, and love at an older age. When Alex, a retired art historian, and Sam, a sophisticated divorced woman happen to bump into each other many years after their first meeting, they struggle with what to do with their feelings. Dating rules have changed over the years, and at first, they are unsure if they should try to figure it out or just give up and not change their current life status. Alex is a seventy-year-old bachelor living in a humble, almost shabby apartment. His main companion is a statue of Dionysus with whom he shares his inner-most thoughts and feelings. In contrast, Sam is a chic seventy-year-old divorced mother of two living quite comfortably in a well to do modern style house. Their styles of living seem to mimic their outward appearance as well as their personalities, and this is what makes their relationship believable. They both benefit from the other's strengths and weaknesses and self-doubt.
As it often does, love interferes and finds a way to bring them together again. The struggles of being older in a modern dating world are explored with humor and whimsy. Filled with flaws and blemishes, they are presented as people who have lived a full life. They both have pasts that catch them off guard in their new and current relationship. The title, A Long Dark Rainbow, is a fit for these characters as we discover their pasts and arc our way through their life journey, and explore their present.
For me, this book receives a 4 out of 4-star rating. It is both charming and refreshing to see older characters find love and accept each other for who they are now. I enjoyed Alex's and Sam's realistic reflection of their older bodies in the mirror and the insecurity they face as older people whose looks are gone. They are real people who have lived a long time and have picked up a few scars and wrinkles along the way. They journey onward together and become so much more than when they were alone and almost forgotten about because of their age. Their self-doubt and self-worth are presented graciously.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are believable and honest. This story takes the reader on a journey from the start of a new relationship and figuring out who you are to how far you are willing to go and change for another person. Along the way, the past catches up with them and tests whether their new relationship is fragile and will break or secure enough to handle the bumps.
I would recommend this book to adults, especially women who are in their 50's or older. The charm and whit of Alex and Sam's characters as they navigate through their new relationship is honest and enduring. Older single people will relate to the characters as they learn about themselves in their second act.
******
A Long Dark Rainbow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick
