Song on the Sand by Ruth Sims

Summary:

Tony Dalby finds himself on the wrong end of his 80s, confined to a nursing home, with his days as a dancer a thing of the past. The appearance of Drew into his life brings a welcome distraction, as well as a bit of mystery as to why Drew constantly visits the wheelchair-bound, comatose Jesse. As secrets are revealed, Dalby finds he may have a renewed purpose for living after all.

Reviewer: BlackTulip
Long or short, historical or contemporary Ruth Sims will always find a way to touch your heart with her stories.

Tony is an old embittered artist who is forced to reflect upon himself and then will have a last chance for redemption. For the present he is angry, with his stupid legs that refuse to do what legs should do, with these stupid rules he doesn't want to abide by and with the stupid staff that treats him like a child when he is eighty six years old ! And every day it's the same story, he says NO to everything and everybody, showing utter disrespect to the staff until the final confrontation where he can only admit defeat and surrender to them. He spends his days hating everybody around him and being sorry for himself.

Then one day a gorgeous young man appears in his life and then suddenly nothing is as bleak and hopeless as it seemed. Drew, that's the young man's name, opens a new horizon to Tony and gives a new breath to his old life. As for the rest of the story, just read it, it's worth it!

Given the fact that it isn't an easy subject and that it's a very short story, the author managed to find a very clever and unexpected ending.

There is a moral to it I think; yes it is our lot to grow old one day, it's something immutable, yet we have the power to choose how to embrace it, with good grace or ungraciously; that's our choice. If we accept that, everything will seem easier no matter what... The very important thing is to live our life to the fullest and make the best of every second of it.

It's the kind of story that won't fade away after reading it. It will stay with you and speak to you... Despite the fact that I don't usually read contemporary novels I liked it a lot. I give 4/5.

Publisher: Untreed Reads