Naomi Weisman is a Canadian-Australian and mother of three who loves to ramble with her dog, cook for family and friends, and laugh whenever possible.
When my mom was in a nursing home in advanced stages of dementia, I would often observe the other people who lived on her floor and wonder what their lives had been like when they were younger. Did they live lives with passion, curiosity, and bravery? What compromises did they make in their journey through life, or what hurdles did they leap over to meet their objectives?
At this stage of the game, most of us Sole Sister Ramblers have had significant relationships, possibly raised children, and witnessed our parents grow old with a partner.
Dear Evelyn is an unconventional love story that takes us on a 70-year journey, beginning with the birth of Harry Miles during WWI in a working-class South London street, his introduction to poetry by a very influential teacher that becomes a lifelong passion, and ending with some of Harry's last experiences in a comfortable nursing home.
When Harry meets Evelyn, he feels an immediate attraction and is driven to pursue her. Evelyn, born in a similar working-class neighborhood, is pragmatic and speaks her mind. She is sexy and ambitious and admires Harry for his dependability and devotion. His letters to her during the war show his sensitive nature and how poetry helps him express his love for her and the life he wants to live.
Throughout the decades, Harry and Evelyn have weathered the storms that life brings, both large and small: WWll and its psychological and emotional fallout, a career without passion to put food on the table and a roof over one's head, troublesome teenagers, and the indignities of aging.
This is a lyrical novel of contrasts, with moments of pure passion and others of excruciating truth. It opened up an inner dialogue that forced me to examine my relationships and those of my parents and grandparents. It highlighted that we never know what individuals go through daily, making them tick in ways we don’t understand.
I highly recommend this lovely book. It slowly draws you in and forces you to expand your viewpoint on the journey of love.
READ MORE > Nomi's Pics, Rambler Cafe Blog
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