The Man Who Left

Reviewed from e-arc provided by NetGalley

In her second memoir, romance and mystery writer Theresa Weir writes the antithesis of a romance: the story of a man who deserted his true love, and their children, for the sake of a wealthy lifestyle with a much older woman. It's also a mystery that will never be solved.

The first person narrative alternates between young Theresa's past, a harrowing story of children left at the mercy of an insane and abusive mother, and present day Theresa's attempts to connect with the father she had seen "fewer than twenty times since he and my mother divorced fifty years ago," who has Alzheimer's disease. The story of her relationship with her father, what there was of it, is a history of neglect and slights: a rare visit to his wealthy home, where she finds her Christmas presents to him still unopened months later; a desperate letter that got no response. Yet somehow she can't quite let the connection go, despite how much he deserves it, despite how pointless it is:

Alzheimer's has removed the chance of my being able to find closure and possibly forgive him. I always thought someday we would discuss what happened, and maybe I would eventually come to understand why he did what he did. But now, even when he's right in front of me, I know I'll never have the answers I need. Everything is unfinished.

Yet it's not at all an unsatisfying book -- though like The Orchard, it's certainly a painful one to read. Although Weir's questions may never be answered, her raw testimony is powerful and important.

Thought Provoking & Brutally Honest. Amazingly well-written. This is a book that makes you think – just what would you do if faced with these same decisions. Although The Man Who Left is a companion book to Ms. Weir’s book The Orchard, this does read as a stand-alone. Enjoy! NetGalley and Belfry Press provided an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have enjoyed Theresa Weir's writing since her early books in the late 1980's, and I am always thrilled when she comes out with a new book. It is rare for me to enjoy memoirs, but hers flow so smoothly that I love them as much as fiction. She is a great storyteller, no matter what genre she chooses. This book is the story of her father and their rather difficult relationship. It really made me feel for what the author has been through in her life. I have liked learning more about Theresa Weir in her memoirs, and hope she will write more of them. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.