“The world would always be less for that choice. But I guess the world deserves that, after what it’s done to you. Whether I like it or not doesn’t make me qualified to judge.”

First – this is the third book I’ve read and reviewed by Eliza Maxwell.

Second – I started to hate the story immediately because of the dog and then was crying at the end because of the dog.

Third – this will be always be fondly remembered by me as the Old Man’s story.

Fourth – How many of us have dreamed of simply walking away and winding up someplace else, being taken in by strangers, and creating a new life?

Fifth – always admire an author who includes a note with their book, as well as autographing it.

THIS book!

Author Eliza Maxwell can really craft a story that envelops me as a reader into the story where I care about the characters. Maxwell has a talented gift of making me wonder how the story will end. I make a guess and just when I think about in the middle of the book where she is leading the story, I’m completely blown away at the end of the book. You don’t see it coming.

The Widow’s Watcher is now fondly known by me as the Old Man’s story, because of my past experiences with a lady named Sycily. I made friends with her while working on a grant project. She was in her eighties when I met her. She taught me so much about life. In this book, it’s an Old Man who teaches about life.

Maxwell opens the story with a very distraught Jenna who has lost her entire family. She left behind the only living family member, Becket, the dog, so she could end her life in some unknown location. What transpires is Lars, the Old Man, saving her life before she stepped into the frozen water.

As the story unfolds you see that all the characters have a past they either forgot or is revealed. All to a certain degree have major pain they have dealt with. Lars lost his wife and two of his children. Owen, Lars remaining son, has his own forgotten secret. Lars’s housekeeper is not whom she seems. Basically, everyone has secrets in this book!

While Jenna’s past is very tragic you find out that life can play a tragic fate giving you what you dreamed and contemplated about. Lars tries his best to show Jenna that life is worth living no matter what’s been dealt you. The story evolves quickly after Jenna is asked by Lars to investigate his children’s disappearance.

As an odd side part of the story – Jenna’s subconscious comes through as her oldest daughter, Cassie. Often times it was disconcerting to me, but the voice of Cassie is what subtly reveals Jenna’s character and heart.

The ending pages had me in tears, mainly because of the return of Becket. Becket was all forgiving of Jenna for leaving him behind. If only people had the hearts of dogs – forgiving and all loving. In the end, The Widow’s Watcher shows us that if characters can forgive then why cannot we forgive in our real world lives.

Once again Maxwell left me emotional but in a fantastic way. It’s another unforgettable story. Isn’t that what books are supposed to do, leave readers remembering the story long after the book becomes apart of your book collection?