A Reason to Be

As a fellow genealogy enthusiast, I really enjoyed this story. I loved the plot of discovering family genealogy and investigating family traits that can be carried on from generation to generation. I also liked how the main character was able to look back retrospectively, so that he had a better understanding of his father and his father's ancestors. In doing so it made him discover what his father was really like. I also enjoyed the romance that occurs between Douglas and Suzy. The interracial aspect is perfectly timed for the that we currently live in. I also enjoyed that it was an older person relationship. A Reason to Be is a cozy, slow burn of a book that made me want to just curl up with it and a cup of coffee and read. I definitely recommend it.

I would like to thank Norman McCombs, Greenleaf Book Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in four a fair and honest review.

At the beginning of the book we meet the first of the main characters, Douglas McCombs, who, after years of taking care of his wife with Alzheimers, and dealing with the crippling blow of losing her, is finally able to drag himself out (quite literally) of his home to begin research on his Scottish Ancestry. With the help of a lovely new librarian acquaintance, Suzy, he uncovers a great deal about his ancestors and himself - sometimes more than is comfortable. The chapters in the book bounce back and forth between Douglas and Suzy's timeline, and a story about one of the McCombs ancestors. I enjoyed this format for the book and appreciated the tales each of the ancestors had to tell.

It was a fairly quick and simple read for me, and I do think there was more story to be told. I would've appreciated a little more complexity for both Douglas and Suzy's modern timeline as well as more of the history. Nevertheless, though, I liked it, but I will admit a partial bias - one of the reasons I was excited to read the book was because my husband's family belongs to the same Scottish clan, so the historical context of this story felt special to me.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for the opportunity to read this book!

First sentence from chapter one: As a sunbeam broke through the crack in the floor-length windows of his Fifth Avenue brownstone, falling in a long, bright line across his bed, Douglas McCombs turned away and pulled the comforter up over his head. He was in no mood for such a glaring display of optimism. The nerve of the sun, daring to rise on yet another day.

Premise/plot: Douglas McCombs stars in Norman McCombs' A Reason To Be. Can this seventy-year-old man suffering from grief and depression find...a reason to be. For months he's barely-barely-barely had the will to get out of bed let alone live life. But after bumping--literally--into a librarian, he may just have an opportunity to live life again. He's equally interested in the lovely librarian, Suzy, AND doing genealogical research on the McCombs. The chapters alternate between the present and the past. His ancestors have chapters. One chapter per generation.

My thoughts: I knew this one would be a good match for me. It stars an older protagonist. One who has gone through a lot for years--care-taking for his wife suffering from dementia. He has an interest in family history and genealogy. He has an interest in a librarian. Both are allowed the opportunity to find love later in life and get second chances. The alternating chapters was great!!! What an incredible and creative idea. I am sure there are many, many, many genealogists who wish they were that creative and talented. I am sure the past has stories to tell us. But more often than not--it's not possible to find fully-fleshed stories in our family trees.

There is something achingly human about this one. I did get hooked.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into romance stories and literary fiction however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different.

This novel travels through multiple generations as Douglas McCombs researches his ancestors. I loved the family tree in the beginning of this novel as it was a nice visualization of the overall flow of the story as our main character looks at the furthest generation and slowly transitions down the line until he gets to his closer ancestors.
A Reason to Be, lives up to its title as the characters in the story (both past and present) find their reason to be. This can be anything from your romantic partner, your career, a hobby – essentially it is anything that motivates you to get up every day (it can be one or multiple). For Douglas, his reason to be used to be his wife and now that she’s gone he now has to discover if it’s possible to move forward and find another reason to be.
Our protagonist is Douglas McCombs who is a seventy year-old inventor who creates mostly medical equipment. His wife Hope has passed away from dementia. He was her sole caregiver and devoted over the past five years to trying to ensure her best survival. After she passes, he is now alone to deal with his grief and depression. For months after her death, he can barely muster the strength to get out of bed and his friend (who he thinks of as a son), Mark comes to try and assist Douglas move forward. He convinces Douglas to do small things, such as taking a walk, as he tries to persuade him to pick-up on his old passion of genealogy. While they are in front of the library, they meet a literary researcher, Suzy, who helps Douglas find out about his past. He delves into his family’s history to not only learn more about the past, but how it has affected his present and possible future.
The chapters alternate between the past and present. Our present timeline moves along as we follow along Douglas and his journey to find out who his family used to be and how it’s helped shape who he is. Our past portions of the story are devoted one chapter per generation in a chronological order. We start with the fourth Great-grandfather of Douglas McCombs and move down the line to his father where we also get a glimpse into Douglas’ childhood through the eyes of his father. As we return to the present after each ancestor’s chapter, we see Douglas process who these men were and how he inherited traits from multiple members.
This novel delves into multiple themes of love, family, and friendship. Along his journey, Douglas discovers the meaning of each and how it can affect his life without him even realizing it. Each of those affect him in a different way that is revealed as you read through the chapters. Overall, it does make the reader want to dive into their own ancestry to find out how who they are today relates to those found in their past. It’s an interesting concept to explore why someone is the way they are and how who we are could potentially affect the future.
I honestly loved every page of this book as each ancestor and every chapter played its part. There was just enough detail and imagery to complete the scenery and tones. When the character were happy, you were able to interpret that without the author having to explicitly mention it (same with other emotions as well). The relationship between Suzy and Douglas is very natural and relatable as they form a great bond through their love of history. With that initial foundation, they explored what else they had in common and how they could form a partnership outside of the library. It’s a very well-written relationship as each character stays true to themselves while also growing together and as individuals.