The Second Half

Thoughts:

In THE SECOND HALF: A Novel by Lauraine Snelling, we dig into retirement when it is not all that it's supposed to be and is far from the dream, but is one of a stark and scary reality!

Ken Sorenson took retirement assured his legacy inside the famed Stone University was secure. He spent thirty years as Dean of Students, but realities help to throw a lifetime he spent creating overboard! Academia and office politics abound even when the end of an era is at Stone's door.

Meanwhile, another war comes to this home front as his wife's business is starting to take off just as he is slowing life down a notch.

Mona Sorenson gains some big wins. Her depression is under control, her business is reaching new heights, and the plan of retirement travel is close to hatching. Not to discount that Mona cannot wait for her husband's hands to bring much more to what she has built.

Reality dampens this couple's retirement expectation once the telephones begin to make their different music selections sing.

Her grown children have their own families, but Steig's wife left him for another man. However, she left her husband and her own children, and Steig is going on deployment, again. His Special Forces designation takes him where these parents wish he wouldn't go.

With little time to plan, as guardians, these two will raise two young grandchildren who struggle with abandonment issues and fear of the unknown. Now, the realities of raising children at this age, inside these current times, have two grandparents giving up what they wanted and falling in love with two kids who are taking their home to new levels of communication.

When nighttime visitors in uniform come upon their doorstep, their faith becomes lacking, as their fears become larger.

Trusting is not always easy, but it is always necessary!

***This opinion is my own.***

Preview:

THE SECOND HALF: A Novel by Lauraine Snelling brings retirement into focus when all the plans take a sudden but necessary detour.

Both Ken Sorenson and his wife Mona have plans on traveling and indulging into the bounty of retirement while Mona still runs her business. Travel and running a business are possible with today's technology.

As a professional event planner, Ken's retirement party is easy for Mona to plan and harder to keep the guest from figuring it all out. She could never pull a surprise on the Dean of Students that he didn't figure out before time. Now, he is at Stone University in his last days before retirement and is under a fixed deadline. Plus, with all their travel talk, Ken is pondering destinations instead of being on her party planning tail. Not to doubt, her party planning experience keeps her on her toes too.

However, some of the best plans go off course, but their raising another family was not even a thought until the phone sings the right tune, guardianship happens, and someone goes missing!

I read a lot of Lauraine Snelling books. This is a story of today and how it is for Grandparents to disrupt there lives to take care of there grandchildren. It shows the struggles of the Grandparents and also the children. Beautiful story line and is fitting for today's era.

The Second Half is the latest novel by Lauraine Snelling. Ken Sorensen is getting ready to retire as Dean of Students from Stone University. Ken and his wife, Mona will now be to travel or do whatever they want. Ken has plans for fishing and woodworking. Mona owns and runs an event planning business from home. Mona is hoping that Ken will assist her with her event planning business once he retires (Ken has no clue). Just before his last day at work, Ken finds out that people are trying to eliminate the department he created. Ken has helped many students and does not want to see his legacy destroyed. Then Mona and Ken receive a call from their son, Steig. Steig is a captain in Army’s Special Forces. Steig has two young children and his wife has abandoned them. He has just received his orders. Steig needs his parents to watch Jakey (5) and Mellie (10). Ken and Mona agree (of course), but this is not what they had planned. They figure they can do this for six months to a year (at most). It turns out more complicated than they thought. Ken gets called back into the university to help his replacement, and Mona is left to watch the children. Mona has her own business to manage and is at risk of falling back into her depression (it is a constant battle). Jakey is not handling the changes very well (clingy which is natural). Mona and Ken keep reminding themselves that it is only temporary, but then the unthinkable happens. What if it is not just for six months or a year? See what happens when the best laid plans go awry!

Have you ever heard the phrase “we plan and God laughs”? That is the premise of The Second Half (referring to the second half of their lives when the kids are grown up and we get to retire). Mona and Ken each have plans for their retirement. One action changes everything. Mona has to battle depression (it is a constant battle to keep depression at bay) and Ken a change of his plans (for taking it easy, fishing, his hobby of woodworking, travel) as well as the destruction of something (legacy) he created (and enjoyed). The Second Half contains good writing (as usual) and has a sweet ending. There were some slow spots (especially during the prayer sections), but the book keeps moving at a decent pace for the most part. I thought Mona worried way too much (all her worrying made me nervous), but it is part of her character (worry, prayer, and depression). I give The Second Half 4 out of 5 stars. It was interesting to see how Mona and Ken handled each situation. It teaches us that we are not in control and worrying does not help. I liked The Second Half, but it is not my favorite book of Lauraine Snelling (just my personal feelings). I will definitely be reading Lauraine Snelling’s future novels.

I received a complimentary copy of The Second Half from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel. The opinions and comments above are strictly my own.