CBR Bingo – Cozy, like two lovers finding each other in old age – and a COMPLETE BINGO CARD!
A widow walks into the home of a neighbor (also a widower), and proposes they sleep together. Addie Moore isn’t looking for sex, necessarily – she just feels lonely at night, and she knows that Louis Waters lost his wife some time ago and he might also feel lonely. And he does – he misses having someone to talk to, someone to look forward to seeing. So, despite living in a small town where people are eager for gossip, they begin sleeping next to one another in Addie’s home. Of course, people notice Louis leaving in the morning, and that causes tongues to wag – everyone has an opinion about whether or not these two ought to be doing whatever it is they’re doing. But Addie and Louis are enjoying one another. They appreciate the company, the companionship.
This is a short novel, quite easy to read – the style of writing reminded me a great deal of Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry (which I loved). The chapters are quite short, this is easily an afternoon read. Addie and Louis share details of their life, slowly doling out their personal histories as they support one another. They take care of Addie’s grandson together, they relive old hurts with one another. They express some regret, but because they didn’t hurt each other there is something really precious about the way they are able to be so open together.
The novel is big on characters and exploring human relationships – not so big on plot events, although we do observe the passage of some time. It’s not quite as meditative as Hannah Coulter, but it has the sweetness of people reflecting on their lives in honest ways with the benefit of distance and wisdom of age. It’s a novel about finding ways to heal and grow together – it’s cozy because, despite how human it is, it is also full of hope.
