Review of Last Dance; and A Loving Mother

[Victor Nwabuisi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Last Dance; and A Loving Mother" by Stephen Manning.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Stephen finished his college at the University of Nebraska and moved to Chicago, where he started working at Inland Steel Company. He met a beautiful lady, Mary Ann, who works in the sales department. Things skyrocketed, and they both got married. This is a nonfiction story about Mary Ann, which includes their early marriage, Stephen’s various jobs, raising their kids, losing their youngest child, Kyle, Mary Ann’s battle with breast cancer, and eventually her demise. Follow Stephen on this emotional journey as he recounts a story of family, love, and resilience.

Last Dance; and A Loving Mother by Stephen Manning portray Mary Ann’s deep love for her children and how she went far and beyond to give them the motherly love they deserve. This book took me on a whirlwind of emotions. The first half of the book filled me with smiles as I enjoyed the author’s story of his early beginnings in their marriage. This is evident in the confident and outspoken aura with which Mary Anna carried herself. I smiled hard at the aspect where Stephen and Mary Ann were trying to come up with stories so that Mary Ann’s father, Ray, would approve of Stephen. It was sweet how Stephen thought Mary Ann was out of his league, but eventually they fell in love. The last chapters of the book drew me to tears. As I watched the pictures and videos included in the book, it hit me hard how the loss of a family member could be so devastating. One of the most touching moments in the book was when Mary Ann used all her willpower to stand up from her wheelchair in the bewilderment of the audience to have that last dance with her son Ryan at his wedding. I’m glad that powerful moment was caught on video and trended widely, even on the news. This book is full of raw and honest feelings. It takes you through joy, sadness, love, and loss. I truly admire both Stephen and Mary Ann. Their love story was something special.

What I loved most about the book is the author’s creativity in drawing readers to this real-life story. I didn’t encounter any boring moments in the book. From the very first page, my curiosity kept growing until the last page. The way the author weaves his words will make you laugh and also cry, especially when he writes about what he calls “Mary Ann's gambling mathematics” and how she reacts whenever he loses in a game. The way he described Mary Ann made it feel like I had known her personally. This touching story indeed shows that Mary Ann’s legacy will live on for many years. I also loved that there are lots of strong moral lessons one would learn from this book. It teaches the value of choosing the right partner, the importance of teamwork in marriage, the joy and responsibility of being a good parent, and how family should always come first. I recommend this book to young adults and parents. I loved everything about this book, and, of course, there is nothing to dislike about it, which is why I wholeheartedly rate it five out of five stars. Also, the editing style is top-notch.

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Last Dance; and A Loving Mother
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[Kibet Hillary]

This is a story of true love, resilience, and what family actually means. I am glad that the family enjoyed the times they had together and at the same devastated at the fact that breast cancer continues to bring immeasurable pain and loss to families. Thank you for the informative review, @Victor Nwabuisi.