Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Do we ever stop coming of age? Mabel Beaumont would suggest that we do not. By working to complete her list in The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson, Mabel shows us that change can come whatever our age. Mabel feels lost after the death of her husband - uncertain how she is going to put one foot in front of the other without him. But even after death she feels looked after by him. She finds a mysterious note that reads “find D,”and with the help of a companion that her husband has hired to look out for her for three months, she sets out on a quest to find her long lost best friend Dot thinking that is what Arthur had in mind for her. Along the way she meets others and her list of things to accomplish grows. Through all of these things, she reflects on the past and comes to know herself in a new way. With echoes of A Man Called Ove and The Story of Arthur Truluv, and The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, her journey is a beautiful one to experience.

Mabel is prickly, and I’m here for it. As the story begins, she clearly hasn’t had to navigate friendships in a long while. As she gathers her groups of ladies, she feels in her heart that she knows what they need. As a friend who is working to stretch herself, she boldly works toward meeting those needs. As she learns that perhaps she doesn’t know as much as she thinks she does, she must learn to apologize and to wait patiently for forgiveness (or not). I love how Pearson develops the disparate stories of each of these ladies who find hope and help in each other - a reminder of all that even very different women may have in common. All of these stories help Mabel plumb her own past and reckon with the decisions that she’s made over the years. We get glimpses into her past and into her marriage. She and Arthur had their struggles to be sure. Their marriage might not be one that the world would define as traditionally happy and successful. And yet a loving partnership is formed than many could only wish for. I love what Pearson does here - she threads a needle and creates a beautiful tapestry.

I need often to be reminded that we are never too old to grow and change. I believe that, but sometimes I forget. I also forget how much life has changed in a lifetime like Mabel Beaumont’s. I am going to avoid spoilers, but Mabel’s self discovery was likely easier after the intervening 60 years that she had to process it. Although she is not bitter, we are reminded how far we’ve come and to not take that for granted. Simultaneously, we are also reminded how much work we’ve yet to do. I love being reminded by The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson that we are never too old to change. Hmmm…on what should I focus?