Review of Last Dance

[Amarachi maryann Orjiewulu 1]

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

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5 out of 5 stars

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Stephen Manning, after his college education in Nebraska, moved to Chicago to take up a job at Inland Steel where he met the love of his life, Mary Ann. After a few chance encounters at the bus station, they started talking and became friends; they started going to work together and hanging out, so it was at one of these hangouts that she asked him out.

They started dating, and down the line, Stephen took Mary Ann home to meet his parents in Nebraska, where they spent a fun-filled weekend and attended the famous Nebraska football game. A few months later, they got engaged.

Stephen got a job offer from another company named Rockwell in Schaumburg as an auditor, so they had to relocate. They subsequently got married and honeymooned in Miami on a cruise ship for a few weeks.

Mary Ann got pregnant with their first child, Kristie, and had her in 1979.
A few months after having Kristie, Stephen got promoted at work, and the new family had to relocate to Pittsburgh.

They had their second child, Karie, in 1981, two years after Kristie was born.
A few months after Karie was born, the family moved to California as Stephen got a job promotion that necessitated relocation.

Stephen enjoyed steady expansion and promotion in his career, but due to the nature of his jobs, the family had to relocate regularly; sometimes they loved their new neighborhood and sometimes they didn't.
Stephen later resigned from Rockwell to work for Memorex in 1982, and they finally settled down in Pleasanton.

Stephen was very successful at Memorex, becoming the Youngest Group President; he then moved on to take the position of CEO in another company named Future, and Mary Ann, who was a full-time mother, was always very supportive.
Stephen later moved on to work for other companies.
They had their third child, Ryan, in 1985 and their fourth child, Kyle, in 1987.

All their children were successful academically with the help of their loving mother, Mary Ann.
Sometime around 2010, Kyle passed away due to overdosed pain medicine a friend gave him.

The "letter to Kyle" and the funeral speech had me emotional, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Mary Ann was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer a few years after Kyle passed away. It was a battle she fought bravely, and her determination to dance at her son's wedding was a testament to her love.
She later passed away a few days after Ryan's wedding.

As much as the author wants the story to be about his wife, Mary Ann, this is an amazing revelation of how beautiful a home can be.
The fact that he always talked things over with Mary Ann before making any final decision that would affect the family and letting her know that the ball is in her court is quite lovely. I also loved the way the author talks about each country he visited, expounding on their strengths and weaknesses.

I do not see any negatives; I simply enjoyed reading this book, and I feel privileged, although I would have loved some more pictures. Haha.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was simply exceptional.

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Last Dance
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[Abril Zacca]

This seems like a heartwarming story about love and family, Great review Amarachi!