Kent Haruf’s lyrical romance novel, Our Souls at Night had been on my reading list for a long time. I finally made time for it on a cold night and followed Addie into Louis’s house for a brief visit that would change there and a reader’s life for good. There are a few books that take you deep into their world and detach you from reality. This happens to be one of them. The blurb aptly summarises what this book is about:

“This is a love story. A Story about growing old with grace.”

Our Souls at Night (Review)

When Addie pays Louis a visit, she does not hesitate much before offering a proposal. No, not a marriage proposal but a proposal to sleep with her. Just sleep. When she finds Louis shocked at this, she explains:

“I mean we’re both alone. We’ve been by ourselves for too long. For years. I’m lonely. I think you might be too. I wonder if you would come and sleep in the night with me. And talk.”

True, lonely have they both been after the demise of their respective spouses. Sleeping together in the companionship of old age seems like a perfect fit for both of them. What follows is their nights together when they sleep, talk and reflect upon the past. You would expect a book like this to be melancholy, but it truly is not even though often they reminisce their past which has not been the best. They look at it with a sense of being at peace with whatever has come to pass and show hope for the future that holds good things, if not the best.

"There are a few books that take you deep into their world and detach you from reality. This happens to be one of them." love this!

The best thing about this book is the characterization. Addie and Louis are both relatable, and so are their kids who are pretty shocked at their romance. So are the most neighbors who eye Louis when he leaves in the morning from Addie’s place. When Louis narrates his past affair that almost ended his marriage, he does not seem sorrowful but almost okay with how things turned out, as if it were inevitable. When Addie narrated a tragedy of their family, one relates brilliantly to her way of telling it – haven’t we all been inflicted by tragedies?

I especially loved how this book blossomed into a timeless romance and ended in a realistic way. SPOILER ALERT: I would have thrown this away if it had been yet another romance that ends with deaths. Our Souls At Night has also been adapted into a movie available on Netflix, and I am sure you will enjoy it. However, for the best experience, grab the book itself!

Before I picked this read up, I wouldn’t have guessed that a book outlining the romance of two middle-aged people will be so enjoyable, so if you are having second thoughts, do not wait and go for this read. I am sure it will leave you happy and content, because of the overall presence of warmth and love throughout the pages of the novel. You can get the book here! 📖

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