Review of Everyone Needs a Companion

[Kristy Khem]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Everyone Needs a Companion" by Jerry A Greenberg.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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What does it feel like to be an old person? How does your reality change when you have already accomplished all of the things you set out to do? What else does life have to offer when you are over seventy years old?

Ben Follensbey is an old man in his seventies. He has had a long and fruitful career as an insurance agent. He and his wife have raised their children to adulthood, and their grandchildren will soon be independent young people. The only thing looming on the horizon is death. After his wife dies, Ben becomes acutely aware of how lonely he is. Time passes and Ben begins to contemplate his existence. By chance, he strikes up a friendship with a precocious little girl named Shirley. She doesn’t quite understand what he is going through, but she tells him that he needs a friend. Ben agrees. As fate would have it, Ben meets Harriet, a retired university professor. Ben is determined to get rid of his loneliness, so he coaxes Harriet to take a spontaneous visit to Tuscany with him for a vacation. They go on the trip together as friends. Can their friendship blossom into something more? Or is it too late for love? Read Everyone Needs a Companion by Jerry A. Greenberg to find out.

This book offers readers a chance to peek into the lives of senior folks. What are their fears and hopes? Do they feel overwhelmed by their age? According to Ben, he felt like many of the things he believed in as a young man were proven false over time. He felt like he was now living in an empty reality. I read this book with an open mind. I realized that companionship and romance are different for people in their seventies compared to younger people. Sometimes, I wanted Ben and Harriet’s relationship to progress more passionately, but I soon understood that their needs and wants were different than a young couple’s.

This book explored the problems faced by Ben’s young friend, Shirley, and her family too. Family issues like the lack of parental care, arguments, and marital matters added an emotional aspect to the plot. I liked reading about this because it made me realize that everyone has different problems at different stages of life. Ultimately, this story will show readers the wisdom of both youth and maturity in the way Shirley helped Ben and vice versa.

A significant portion of this book deals with gardening and farming. I love gardening, so this part of the book was very interesting. Through the characters’ positive experiences with growing their own produce, I realized how important it is to have a hobby that adds purpose and enjoyment to one’s life. I also learned that gardening is a great hobby that can involve the entire family.

This book is relatable to both old and middle-aged readers, so I am happy to recommend it to them. Senior citizens and retirees will definitely be able to relate to Ben and Harriet’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Perhaps they may also be feeling the way that Ben did at the beginning of this story and may need positive encouragement to make new friends, start a meaningful hobby, pursue a romantic relationship, or take a trip. This story can be a push in the right direction to help them enjoy their lives again instead of thinking forlornly about the past and feeling lonely. This book can help middle-aged readers understand their older parents and grandparents too.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 because it portrays life from the perspective of senior people, and it can be a supportive resource to older readers who may be suffering from loneliness. This book contained only a few minor errors; it was generally well-edited.

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Everyone Needs a Companion
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Mtibza eM]

This is a beautiful review. Thank you for sharing.

[mohamed elshemi]

Really everyone will reach that age and say what next
Friendship is a beautiful thing
interesting novel
Thank you

[Humeyra Karakas]

Thanks for this great review and as a middle-aged person, I definitely agree with the importance of having a hobby in one's life.

[Ada Ling]

Really everyone will reach that age and say what next
Friendship is a beautiful thing
interesting novel
Thank you

It is true everyone will face this. How are you going to go through this? Great review!

[Benaron]

It'd be cool to read about an older person's perspective on life, I might just give it a read. Thanks for the review!

[Gladis Jose]

Friendship is really a beautiful thing in the world. Very interesting novel...
Thank you

[Ipshita P]

This is a great review of the book. It makes me want to read the book. I have been looking for some heartwarming friendship stories for quite some time now. I might as well give it a read.

[Lauren Hanna]

I'm glad Ben found a companion to help with his loneliness. I agree that it is so important to have a hobby. I enjoyed reading your thorough review!

[namere isaac]

I am happy that Ben at his old age was longing for a companion and indeed he got her,thanks for this wonderful review

[Laura Ungureanu]

It's beautiful to explore such underrated subjects like old age, especially when the author goes so deep into the subject. It definitely sounds like a unique book. Congrats!

[Ochieng Omuodo]

That’s a great point about companionship and romance being different for people in their seventies compared to younger people. This book presents a chance to peek into old age with a view to avoiding that frightening prospect of aging alone.

[Satwik Mohanty]

Not a big fan of gardening but the other topics discussed in the book were surely delightful. I would love to read about Ben's thoughts and actions. Thanks for the detailed review!

[Timothy Rucinski]

This appears to be a warm, sensitive book specifically designed for older folks like me. However, since I'm planning to tie the proverbial knot later next year, I believe I have the companionship thing covered. Congratulations to Mr. Greenberg on his accomplishment and on achieving BOTD.

[Tars]

Even though the book's storyline is most definitely not my forte, since it is generously gifted for free, I may give it a try one of this days. But in my opinion, it sounds too sentimental and nostalgic and I am not inclined to those moods. Still congrats on the BOTD!