Review of Last Dance
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Almustapha Garba
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- Latest Review: Last Dance by Stephen Manning
Review of Last Dance
[Following is a volunteer review of "Last Dance" by Stephen Manning.]
What a tragedy – a sad yet interesting story, a legacy to be remembered.
The book Last Dance by Stephen Manning is a book written by the author to share the legacy his wife, Mary Ann, left behind. It scans through their lives from the moment he first saw her to the moment they got married and had their first child, up to the moment she had her last dance with her son, Ryan, at his wedding. Her death and the legacy she left concluded the narration. The book was so interesting as it carries the reader along. I really enjoyed the book; it almost made me cry.
In addition, the book showed the extent of a mother’s love for her children. A mother adds so much value to one’s life; she’s an ocean of care in a figure, a bundle of love in a heart, and a feeling of being secure with just a smile. Indeed, no other loves like a mother, no other sacrifices like a mother, and obviously, no one stabilizes the home like a mother. Not that the fathers don’t do anything, it’s just that when compared to what a mother does, the difference is crystal clear. For one to truly know the significance of one, one has to lose that person.
There is a high virtue of keeping a good record of events. Come to think of it, if the author hadn’t kept this treasure, we wouldn’t have had access to this work of art. We wouldn’t have known how much Mary Ann loved and cared for her children, how much she’d supported her husband in times of need and how hard she fought cancer to make it to her son’s wedding to have that mother/son dance. The author had taught us a valuable lesson back there.
I liked the way Mr. Manning ranked his family first before any other thing; especially at the AT&T’s offer. Most people would be so blinded by the glitters of the offer that they’d forget that there is a saying which says that family comes first. His conversations with his wife on matters affecting the family paid off a great deal. It made sure that he didn’t make a selfish decision that would favor himself alone. Not only being a good listener, but he also respected his wife’s decisions and suggestions, and hence, tried to execute them. This is one of the roles a husband and/or father should adopt; trying as much as possible to bring a smile to the family. That is also a lesson I hope a lot would take in.
The images used from Mr. Manning’s wedding picture, the last dance and her picture with the kids’ baby pictures after her second round of chemo were splendid. It made me feel a little bit of the author’s pain, especially the last dance’s pictures. The author also shared the URLs of the video clip recording of the “last dance” which is available on YouTube, together with an interview by a local TV station in San Francisco of Mary Ann’s children after making a quick research on her.
There is something that annoyed me about the book though, the consistent repetition of the error of capitalizing a word that isn’t a proper noun after a colon or a quotation. The message is still there though; the errors can’t affect the lessons learned from the legacy of Mary Ann.
The book was well edited but with several errors. If not for the errors I’d found, I would’ve rated a four, but alas, I can’t. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to everyone from all stages – it is a book I believe everyone would benefit from.
******
Last Dance
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
What a tragedy – a sad yet interesting story, a legacy to be remembered.
The book Last Dance by Stephen Manning is a book written by the author to share the legacy his wife, Mary Ann, left behind. It scans through their lives from the moment he first saw her to the moment they got married and had their first child, up to the moment she had her last dance with her son, Ryan, at his wedding. Her death and the legacy she left concluded the narration. The book was so interesting as it carries the reader along. I really enjoyed the book; it almost made me cry.
In addition, the book showed the extent of a mother’s love for her children. A mother adds so much value to one’s life; she’s an ocean of care in a figure, a bundle of love in a heart, and a feeling of being secure with just a smile. Indeed, no other loves like a mother, no other sacrifices like a mother, and obviously, no one stabilizes the home like a mother. Not that the fathers don’t do anything, it’s just that when compared to what a mother does, the difference is crystal clear. For one to truly know the significance of one, one has to lose that person.
There is a high virtue of keeping a good record of events. Come to think of it, if the author hadn’t kept this treasure, we wouldn’t have had access to this work of art. We wouldn’t have known how much Mary Ann loved and cared for her children, how much she’d supported her husband in times of need and how hard she fought cancer to make it to her son’s wedding to have that mother/son dance. The author had taught us a valuable lesson back there.
I liked the way Mr. Manning ranked his family first before any other thing; especially at the AT&T’s offer. Most people would be so blinded by the glitters of the offer that they’d forget that there is a saying which says that family comes first. His conversations with his wife on matters affecting the family paid off a great deal. It made sure that he didn’t make a selfish decision that would favor himself alone. Not only being a good listener, but he also respected his wife’s decisions and suggestions, and hence, tried to execute them. This is one of the roles a husband and/or father should adopt; trying as much as possible to bring a smile to the family. That is also a lesson I hope a lot would take in.
The images used from Mr. Manning’s wedding picture, the last dance and her picture with the kids’ baby pictures after her second round of chemo were splendid. It made me feel a little bit of the author’s pain, especially the last dance’s pictures. The author also shared the URLs of the video clip recording of the “last dance” which is available on YouTube, together with an interview by a local TV station in San Francisco of Mary Ann’s children after making a quick research on her.
There is something that annoyed me about the book though, the consistent repetition of the error of capitalizing a word that isn’t a proper noun after a colon or a quotation. The message is still there though; the errors can’t affect the lessons learned from the legacy of Mary Ann.
The book was well edited but with several errors. If not for the errors I’d found, I would’ve rated a four, but alas, I can’t. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to everyone from all stages – it is a book I believe everyone would benefit from.
******
Last Dance
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Last Dance by Stephen Manning
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Mary Omotosho
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Last Dance by Stephen Manning is a poignant and beautifully written tribute to his late wife, Mary Ann.
Manning captures the essence of their life together, celebrating the highs and weathering the lows with a heartfelt touch. His unwavering love and devotion shine through as he recounts their adventures, family joys, and the profound grief of loss.
While the book starts at a leisurely pace, it unfolds into a deeply moving love story that lingers in your thoughts long after the final page.
A must-read for those who appreciate stories of enduring love, family, and the bittersweet beauty of life's journey.
Manning captures the essence of their life together, celebrating the highs and weathering the lows with a heartfelt touch. His unwavering love and devotion shine through as he recounts their adventures, family joys, and the profound grief of loss.
While the book starts at a leisurely pace, it unfolds into a deeply moving love story that lingers in your thoughts long after the final page.
A must-read for those who appreciate stories of enduring love, family, and the bittersweet beauty of life's journey.
