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I am not sure if the complete personality change in Mabel after Arthur's death was intentional in the "I am out of prison now, so I no longer have to pretend" or if it was just a plot device to show character growth, If it was a plot device, it failed for me, because the change was so dramatic. With the home health aide's help, Mabel develops three close friendships and reaches out on her own to a young adolescent. These three women come to support her in her quest to find her best friend, Dot, who disappeared right before her wedding to Arthur. The young adolescent allows Mabel to be giver. EXCERPT: When Arthur woke, he asked what he had missed, and we told him nothing. But it wasn't quite true, I don't think. It felt like something had shifted infinitesimally, between the four of us. The truth was, and always had been, that he was the one I could have done without, the one I cared about the least. How strange he was the one I spent my life with, in the end. Mabel and Arthur Beaumont live in a small Surrey town and have been married for sixty-two years. They are the best of friends. When she wakes one morning to find Arthur has passed away in the night, she feels adrift. They never had children and now she is completely alone... When Arthur was alive he structured their days around lists he would make. Mabel finds his last, unfinished list which says only "Find D". Her mind immediately goes to Dot, her best friend, whom she hasn't seen since before her marriage to Arthur. Did he want her to find Dot again?
Arthur took seriously his job of taking care of her. Soon after his funeral, a home health aide appears at her door. Arthur had pre-paid for the service, to help her adjust to his death. It’s gorgeously written and the reader easily becomes absorbed in the story and invested in the characters and the outcome. Mabel and her friends will take over a warm space in your heart, and they’ll stay there for a very long time!My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Last List of Mabel Beaumont”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. Now that I have got that off my chest, we can proceed. I liked, but didn't love The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, just as I liked but didn't love Mabel herself. And the getting to like her took a while . . . Another reason I didn't warm to Mabel was Ollie, the dog. Mabel really didn't like Ollie, couldn't be bothered with him, and Ollie didn't much like her in return. I always trust a dog's instincts. There are a couple of neat little twists, and the final one concerning Arthur's note "Find D" was delightful.
The friends she slowly begins to surround herself with (much to her astonishment) show her that everyone has their own secrets and struggles and that what you see on the surface might not actually reveal someone’s true inner story. People only tend to show the parts of themselves that they feel others can handle. Mabel slowly shows her new friends that despite having isolated herself for so long, she does actually have an innate understanding of the workings of the human spirit. She might not get things 100% right, but her perceptions are often spot-on. In turn, these women show Mabel the importance of having female friends, through all ages and stages of our lives, regardless of how strong our romantic and family ties might or might not be. Instead of experiencing deep regret for all the years she missed out on, Mabel instead embraces what she’s found, and makes the most of it, although she obviously wonders “What might have been?”. Mabel is 86-years old and her husband Arthur has just died leaving her alone with their dog Olly who was only really fond of Arthur. Having had no children Mabel is very much on her own but her husband, the ultimate list maker, has left her one last list: “Find D”. At first Mable is confounded until she makes the connection. Arthur must mean for her to find her BFF, Dot, from sixty years ago. Dot took off without a word never to be heard from again and Mabel is sure Arthur is telling her to find Dot. Such a poignant story. Brought a lump to my throat… Will really appeal to fans of Joanna Cannon.’ Karen Angelico I absolutely loved this book… I adore an older protagonist… who is feisty and not afraid to speak her mind. The story is like a warm hug – but it had spark and wit and humour too. I was bereft when I finished it (far too) late last night!’ Clare Swatman Arthur loved to make lists and leave them for Mabel to find, from the ordinary everyday grocery items to ‘I love today, tomorrow, always’. But now Arthur has gone, passed away in the gentle manner that was his way in life, quietly without a fuss.
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I adored every moment, I was hoping that this mystery quest would have a good resolution and that every character found the happiness they were looking for. I adored it… A heartbreakingly beautiful story about love in all its different forms. (And she made me cry again, of course). Bravo.’ Nikki Smith Mabel and Arthur Beaumont were married for over sixty years, and when he dies suddenly, Mabel is left isolated and grieving. Then she finds a list that he left her saying "Find D", and Mabel decides to act on it. In return, when Mabel strives to ‘help’ her new friends by interfering in their lives, she comes close to jeopardizing her newfound friendships. They all have aspects of their lives which they wish to keep to themselves, as does Mabel. Everyone of them has secrets… Surprisingly, Arthur has prepared for his passing by hiring someone to come in to their home for two hours each day. This carer is named Julie, and despite Mabel’s initial misgivings, Julie becomes a true friend, helper, and confidant. Through Julie, and her own newfound courage, Mabel meets other friends. A teenager who works at the local market. A seventy year old dance instructor, and a young mother with a tiny daughter. Suddenly Mabel doesn’t feel so alone and she is experiencing camaraderie for the first time in decades. She has a new lease on life at the tender age of eighty-six. Her new friends set about to help Mabel find her old friend Dot.
Mabel Beaumont’s husband Arthur loved lists. He’d leave them for her everywhere. ‘Remember: eggs, butter, sugar’. ‘I love you: today, tomorrow,always’. What she doesn't know is that her list isn't just about finding her old friend. And that if she can admit the secrets of the past, maybe she could even find happiness again... Laura Pearson has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester. She lives in Leicestershire, England with her husband and their two children. THE AUTHOR: Laura Pearson has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester. She lives in Leicestershire with her husband and their two children.The last list he left had one item on it, Find D. Mabel thinks he must have meant her old friend Dot. Although she hasn’t seen Dot for over 60 years, they were completely inseparable for many years. Dot left without so much as a goodbye and it’s bothered Mabel ever since that day. Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I finished this in the same 24 hours as I started it. Oh… what a beautiful story… Poignant and inspiring!’ Jennie Godfrey Apart from the list Arthur has also paid for Mable to have a carer 2-hours every day. While Mable does not feel she needs a carer she finds Julie comforting and soon become friends. She confides in Julie that her husband has left her a list directing her to find her long lost friend and Julie is immediately on board to help in the search.
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