The Setting Sun

Rating: 3 out of 5

Life isn’t really about getting what we want. It’s more about letting go of the things we wanted because, in the long run, it really doesn’t matter.

I had a lot of emotions while reading this book and I'm still working out some of them to be honest. The basic premise of the story is that Meredith and Sam were childhood sweethearts until her parents forbid the relationship. The two shared a strong bond though and remained friends for years. Sam has a brain tumor and at one point in their lives Meredith offered to be his person and take care of him if he ever got sick. Well because he is dying Sam calls in that favor and the two embark on a road trip.

The book examines the realities of love and friendship. Meredith spends the novel reflecting on how Sam has been a part of her life and all the points in life where they missed their chance. It's important to know that Meredith is currently married with grandchildren. I think for this reason I struggled some with liking Meredith's character. It always seemed like she was pining over what she never had with Sam rather than being grateful for what she did have.

Despite all this I think the novel does an outstanding job of examining life, love, friendship and death. I found myself connecting with Meredith's grief, having recently lost a loved one, and I think the author does an amazing job of examining those feelings. The novel shifts around in the timeline and at first I found it hard to follow but was eventually able to keep up with what happened. This is definitely not a lighthearted read. It is a serious novel which showcases the difficulties and realities of life. If you love a thought provoking book then give this one a shot.