The Last Time I Saw You

Elizabeth Berg's novel, The Last Time I Saw You, is about a fortieth high-school reunion as told through the eyes of several different people planning for the reunion, attending the reunion, and then what happens afterwards. I read the Kindle version. There were a few typos since it is just out, and, since it is easy to change font sizes, I find more run on words than in printed books. Dorothy Shauman, the high-school beauty, now divorced and having a difficult time being alone and with her grown daughter, sees the reunion as a chance to get back together with chief jock Pete Decker. But Pete is having problems of his own. He still has his good looks, but he finds he is with a woman he doesn't like or respect. He wants his wife back, but she has decided to move on. Lester Hessenpfeffer, the school nerd and valedictorian, is now a successful veterinarian. However, since his wife died, he fears he will never find love again. His office manager talks him into attending the reunion even though he would rather stay home and take care of his patients. Mary Alice Mayhew was never part of the in crowd, and doesn't know why she should go to the reunion. But she's curious about how her classmates turned out. She's been helping care for an elderly neighbor who decides she should go to the reunion and he goes with her. Candy Sullivan, a high-school beauty, has just learned she has ovarian cancer. Her husband has all but ignored her for years and now he is concerned about her and offers to go to the reunion with her even though he refused to before they knew how serious her illness was. She goes without him. The author did an excellent job writing in the various points of view. In one place, she partially repeated a scene to show it from another characters viewpoint. The story is about what happens when these characters and their friends and classmates get together again. Elizabeth Berg was born in 1948 and that makes her eligible to have attended a fortieth high school reunion. Since I've been to my fiftieth reunion, I know she is talking from experience. It was a wonderful experience reading this book while thinking about my own reunion. I just wish there had been more follow up on the characters before the book ended. But it was just enough to let us know what happened. I guess I wasn't ready to say goodbye to my new friends.

Why would anyone want to attend their fortieth high school reunion? We find out in Elizabeth Berg's bittersweet novel, "The Last Time I Saw You." The author introduces us to a diverse group of people in their late fifties who still remember what it was like to be an adolescent at Whitley High. Fifty-eight year old Dorothy Shauman is divorced and desperate to reconnect with the best-looking guy in the class, Pete Decker, "the football player, the prom king." As Dorothy gazes at herself in the mirror, she "raises her chin so her turkey neck disappears." Her imagination runs wild as she predicts how she and Pete will banter, flirt, and subsequently leave the others behind to spend some quality time together. Mary Alice Mayhew had been shunned by her high-school classmates because of her dowdiness and lack of social skills. Although she has never been married, she claims to be content with her quiet and solitary existence. "She has learned not to let hurt take up residence inside her." In spite of her self-reliant personality, Mary Alice admits that there is someone she used to know in high school whom she would not mind seeing again. Widower and loner Lester Hessenpfeffer is devoted to the animals he cares for in his veterinary practice, and would rather not attend the reunion at all. His assistant, Jeanine, hounds him into going. Pete Decker left his wife, Nora, for a younger woman, and now regrets his rash behavior; his mistress is vapid and his wife has started dating someone else. He hopes to win her back at the get-together. Candy Sullivan, the most desirable female in the class, is miserable in her marriage to an aloof and controlling husband. She needs to get away from him while she makes some tough decisions about her future. Berg has a field day with her lively and diverse cast, all of whom have a great deal to learn about life. As the former classmates ponder who they were four decades ago and how they have changed, they are forced to admit that some of their choices may have been misguided. They wonder if it is too late to seek the happiness that has eluded them. Can a loner find companionship at an age when most people are thinking of retirement? Is it possible for an unhappily married woman to start over, either alone or with someone else? In the wrong hands, this could easily have been a maudlin, predictable, and heavy-handed work of fiction. Fortunately, Berg hits all the right notes in this crisp, succinct, sometimes profound, and often hilarious novel. She explores her characters' confusion, insecurities, and fears with compassion, subtlety, and wry humor. As people age, they may develop wrinkles, gain a few pounds, and become a bit more set in their ways. However, most individuals never lose the desire for love, acceptance, and fulfillment. "The Last Time I Saw You" is touching but never saccharine. To her credit, Berg does not resort to a clichéd resolution for each character's problems. Instead, she

Here is a look at the lives of middle-aged people who remain victims of their high school years and and their shortcomings, both then and now. Each character is relatable and could be someone you know or even yourself. The best part of this tale is that each person begins learning about themselves...past, present and future. Memories are often quite distorted as time passes and it is true here as well. While there are many serious issues brought out in the lives we peer into, the overall feeling is upbeat and positive because life is only over when we take are last breath and we have many options until then, no matter what your current circumstance. This is a pleasant, quick read that will leave you with things to consider about the story and your own life.

I LOVED this quick and easy read of 58 year-olds facing the 40 year high school reunion. I am 58 myself with a 40 year high school reunion this summer and, I have to tell 'ya, Ms. Berg absolutely nails the various predicaments, conditions, and thoughts of us boomers. If you are of this certain age, you'll laugh out loud at the references to Viagra, Spanx, and a face "looking like ice cream falling off a plate." It's been many, many books ago that I repeatedly laughed out loud. Her writing is soooo smooth. What a refreshing joy ~ just good lighthearted reading for an afternoon ~ a wonderful way to spend a few hours repeatedly identifying with these characters. A gem!

The last two days, the dishes have piled up, the laundry in the dryer needs to be rewashed - everything is wrinkled and I don't iron, and my coffee table is littered with chocolate Easter candy wrappers and empty coffee cups. I blame Elizabeth Berg and her new release - The Last Time I Saw You. What a joy to read. The characters were faulty yet lovable, the writing, as ALWAYS, was so freaking smooth and flowing. Read the synopsis for info on what the book is about - my review is to recommend it. If you want a pleasurable read, if you want to escape for a day or two (because you won't want to put it down), go out and pick up a copy. Just make sure your house is clean and you have plenty of food to snack on as you won't be doing much other than reading!