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A May-December romance is at the heart of this metafictional introspection upon the intricacies of relationships, communication, and possibilities. When Natan, a sixty-five-year-old writing his first novel, takes a shine to Sarah, a twenty-five-year-old fitness coach at a local gym, his attention is not unwelcome. She is intrigued by "his manners, demeanor, soft low voice, and blue eyes." In passing, Natan tells Sarah, "I will find you." Natan is challenged by her reply: "Find a better way to say the same."
And he does, locating her via the corporate gym network she works for as she moves across the country roughly every six months for the pleasure of visiting new places. Though married and somewhat cautious, Natan is inexorably drawn to Sarah, and their meetings are shaped by the seasonal flavors and demands of various locations, including a summer trip to Israel, where Sarah's parents accept Natan and his marriage because of their daughter's happiness.
Gurovich's prose has the flavor of an English translation that is sometimes awkward but just as often concise and measured. The epigraphic poems, lyrics, and quotations at each chapter head steer the storytelling in thought-provoking bursts that enhance the story's literary quality without supplanting it or overly influencing the reader. There is a sense of deep wistfulness underlying the romance, the uncertainty of any lasting outcome, as if time is at a premium. Gurovich explores two possible scenarios, each with an international flair, that allow the reader to examine both the story and their own internal emotional world more deeply. This is an atmospheric, bite-sized romance that will leave readers wanting more of the rather mysterious yearning and ambiguity created by the author's perceptive gaze at the chance encounters that bring form to romantic love.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review