Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have read many of Catherine Ryan Hyde's books and have never been disappointed. This one seems to receive less 5 star reviews than most of her others. I believe that this is because of the stage in life of the individual reader. I am retired, have lived through several very occupationally difficult periods, have grown children, some of which we can honestly say we don't really know each other as adults, and wished for something that would ultimately not be the best for me. This book touches on all of the above. Roseanna 'retired' herself suddenly following the unexpected death of her best friend and partner Alice. She has a grown, independent son but they both lack strong parent-child bonds and certainly a good adult relationship. She is being sued by her remaining business partner for abandoning the partnership. She longs for a life of isolation and solitude. If the reader has not dealt with some or most of these issues personally, they may think poorly of it. I think that Ms. Hyde's characters are wonderfully developed and fulfill the beautiful story. The book has encouraged me to work on building better parent/child adult relationships.