Review of Last Dance

[Arushi Garg]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Last Dance" by Stephen Manning.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Stephen loved his wife dearly and wrote this book in her remembrance after she lost her life to breast cancer. Last Dance by Stephen Manning is a heart-capturing life story of a loving wife and a Loving Mother, Mary Ann. She was highly dedicated towards her family and raised her children to be lovely young adults. She always knew what her children wanted, even when they could not speak. She would always be there, standing by their side in their support.

The author shifted to Chicago to work for a company named Inland Steel. He was an ambitious young man who worked hard and was progressing at a good pace when he met Mary Ann. She worked in the same company in the sales department whereas Stephen worked in the accounts department. Soon they became close friends. They both were dating different people then, but ended up being together later on. Things moved quickly thereon. They moved in together, met each other’s parents, got engaged, and got married. Both Stephen and Mary Ann were close to their families and wanted their children to be the same. Mary Ann did all in her might to provide her children the best of all. Life was good at first when they came together, but it cannot be good always. The couple came across many obstacles in their relationship, but they loved their Camelot too much to give up on each other. They came out strong, overcoming every hurdle in their way. When the author left his house for his career, his mother had only one advice for him– ‘marry the one you want to raise your children’. Stephen had this advice of hers in his heart and he always took delight in how he had found Mary Ann, who perfectly fit the part.

This is a story of a couple who fought against all ups and downs, sticking together, turning every situation into a happy situation. There are many aspects I enjoyed in the book. I loved how the title of the book is so apt. Last Dance is a real-life example of the power of a mother’s love for her children. That how Mary Ann fought bravely against her disease to have that last dance with her son at his wedding. There were a few instances of humour in between, that blended well in the story. In addition, the author included some pictures and links to share his beautiful moments which made the book furthermore interesting and real.

My personal favourite part of the book is when Mary Ann says, “If you think I am just going to pack up and move with you wherever you decide to go to work, without a ring on this finger, you have another thing coming.”

However, there were some aspects I did not like. The description of the different business visits the author had-I felt these descriptions were not written in a way that a person, not belonging to the area, would understand. The author did not provide details for how he got to know Mary Ann’s name and mentioned it in a blunt manner, which was a little disappointing. The book was professionally edited, and I did find some typing and punctuation errors present in the book.

I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars as there were over ten errors. However, I would additionally award half a star as these errors were negligible and did not ruin the overall reading experience. I would not deduct any more stars as even after encountering the above-mentioned negative aspects, I enjoyed the book thoroughly. I could connect to every emotion that the author wanted to make his readers feel and could fully empathize with him throughout the book. Anyone who is a fan of love stories will find this book fascinating.

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Last Dance
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[Kira Bonita Reece]

It's refreshing when couples have a bond so strong that it can withstand any challenge that may come their way. I also think Mary Ann is a good mother

[Unsullied]

I reviewed this book and it got to me. I loved how the author was able to express his emotions directly to the reader. I also loved that he did not dwell on self-pity.