This was a very fast read, but also a sad read. It's hard for me to read books that seem headed for an unhappy ending. I felt sad for Adele and her losses; for Henry who had the impossible task of "taking care of his mother", which no 13 year old should ever have to do; and especially for Frank, who deserved so much more out of life than he got. Yet these three people could have been a happy family together. Sad alone, happy together.
I really wasn't sure where the book was headed after they decided to go to Canada. I didn't figure that plan would be successful - hence my assumption that it would be a sad ending - but I wasn't sure how the book would end. I have obviously not seen the movie, but even then (for reasons unknown to me), movies don't always have the same endings as the book does. Quite annoying. (The exception for that is The Horse Whisperer, because I vehemently opposed the ending of the book. Apparently, Robert Redford did too, which is why he changed it for the movie.) Anyway....the end of the book flew by rather quickly with not much detail about Henry's life with his dad. I guess the author needed to speed through the next 18 years after spending so much time on Labor Day weekend!
I gathered that Frank would make a reappearance when Henry was suddenly 31 years old. I'm so glad that he did! I was also happy that Adele finally decided to live her life. And Henry seemed to turn out well-adjusted despite his unusual upbringing. So, this is what I would call a happy ending. Who knew??
Wendy's Rating: ****
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