Second Chance Ranch
Barbara Kennedy
Madison Avenue Publishers LLC
ISBN 1-4208-1137-1

Our heroine —because it's first person, we never learn her name— is facing the imminent death of her husband, Paul. Despite their mostly dysfunctional families, they find strength in each other and come to terms, one way or another, with Paul's death. We see Zelda, Paul's manipulative and self-obsessed mother; we meet our heroine's parents, one dead but not forgotten, the other not yet dead but mostly forgetting. We meet Paul's siblings. But mostly, we meet Paul and his confrontation with death.

More literary novel than commercial, more journal than plot-driven fiction (the book is dedicated to Paul and acknowledgments are to Hospice, so one assumes this novel has a strong basis in truth), this book reaches into the very souls of Paul and our heroine. Chances are, if you're facing something akin to the death of a loved one, this book will reach out to you as "someone's who's also treading the same path." Our heroine survives, with memories intact, to have one last dance with her love. If you're in need of a good cry, this one will push you over the edge.

Reviewed by:
Ann M. Beardsley

Available from Powells, Barnes & Noble and  Amazon.com.

Find the lowest price for Second Chance Ranch!  Powered by