Title: The Last Ride

Author: Ronald W. Ciamaga

Genre: Later Life Fiction

 

Frank and Ellie met in college and have been a happy couple for over 50 years, their marriage producing a son and daughter. Recently, Frank has lost a step or two cognitively and Ellie’s forgetfulness has become too hard to ignore. Their children, Jason and Meredith, believe their parents should consider moving into Shady Grove, a local retirement home. While their kids believe Shady Grove would provide Frank and Ellie with the care befitting those living their golden years, Frank is still hesitant. After visiting the retirement community, Frank decides that he and Ellie are deserving of one last escapade, a trip unfettered from concerns and supervision. In order for their plan to go swimmingly, they need absolute secrecy and Frank must learn to ride a motorcycle.

The Last Ride is a sweet, funny and often tender story about a loving couple’s last hurrah as they come to grips with the consequences of aging and approaching their mortality. Frank and Ellie are senior citizens who rebel against the inevitable and indulge in wanderlust in this consistently engaging narrative from author Ronald W. Ciamaga. While a similar plot point could devolve into offbeat silliness, Ciamaga suffuses his story with the right amount of heart, empathy and humor that distinguishes his book from the run-of-the-mill road trip tale.

The love that exists between Frank and Ellie is unquestionable and unmistakable and drives much of the story as Frank desires to provide Ellie with one more unforgettable moment in their relationship. As conveyed by Ciamaga, Frank and Ellie’s feelings are affectionate, pure, and genuine. The apprehension toward what their latter years will bring and the possibility of losing one another is the poignant crux of the story. The secret jaunt allows the couple to escape routine and cast off inhibitions which allows for Ellie to unleash her exuberance and Frank to revel in his wife’s happiness.

The move into Shady Grove, while beneficial for Frank and Ellie, also means a loss of the couple’s independence and accepting their failing capabilities. The narrative unfolds in a way allowing for the frustration in both parents and children to be seen in how fraught later life decisions can be. The conflict as deftly and sympathetically written by the author is about acknowledging when you can accept help and understanding when your children are looking out for your interests. Jason and Meredith are portrayed as caring children who want what’s best for their septuagenarian parents.

The Last Ride is a story that allows heart to lead the way through an elderly couple’s expedition through the northeast. While a pithy novel with more than a few excellent characters, the relationship between Frank and Ellie and their children could have been explored more to strengthen the emotional impact.

The Last Ride is a tender book that will bring a smile to the reader’s face if it doesn’t evoke a tear or two. Ronald W. Ciamaga has composed a thoughtful, pleasant, and inspired work of fiction that will land with a wide swath of readers.

 

 

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