The Bridges of Madison County

The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

#31

I was all set to give this book just 2 stars. A great love that cannot exist. Two souls pining away for each other tragically until they die. Yada yada (yawn) Then the last two chapters put it over the top for me. I know this book was much ballyhooed as total chick book. Romance spilling out of it and such. And it sure did. The descriptions were beautiful & full of emotion and soul. And yet…I was kinda bored. I got it. Francesca and Robert are going to hook up and spend four glorious days together. Ok. So?
Well, it’s that so? that broke through to me. I was necessarily bawling at the end, but I sure was sniffling & teary eyed. Francesca’s letter to her children, and their reaction to it was so unexpected for its honesty & acceptance. I loved how she expressed that those 4 days provided her the sanity she needed to stay with her husband and children. At that point I more deeply understand her ritualistic one day a year of seeping back into the memories of those days. It seems that gave her what she needed to get through the next year until she would dive in again. I also loved the final interview with the musician in Washington who told was able to fill in the details of how Robert had spent his last years and how the story he told of their love had moved the old musician to write a song in their honor which soothed the souls of both men.
I might even say that you could simply skip to those last chapters & get the same impact with out the yada yada yawn 🙂

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