"Benny and Shrimp"

I so enjoyed this book!  It was quaint, sweet and at times heartbreaking.  Benny and Shrimp meet visiting loved ones graves who happen to be buried next to each other.  They are both experiencing what is like to loose the one you love and how to continue living.  Shrimp's loss was her husband and Benny's was his Mother. 

They happen upon each other regularly visitng thier loved ones graves and wonder about each other.  They are drawn to each other fall in love.  She is a librarian who lives in the city and he a farmer who lives in the outskirts.  One of the funniest ways I have ever heard a person talk about love comes from Shrimp who says "He makes my ovaries jump and sing!"

They both know from the begining that their relationship wont last as each is tied into their lives so.  Shrimp is a city girl, who never thought herself worth much and loves Benny for all the reasons she is appalled by him.  He is a true farmer, loves his land, the life, the dirt and the cows.  He loves it too much to let it go when offered the life with Shrimp.  And Shrimp, she just can not live in the county.  The sadness and heartbreak for me was when they knew they were done, but didnt want to let go.  "It was as if we sensed that if we opened so much as a tiny crack onto the outside world, all manner of ghouls and ghosts would be blown in and skeletons would come toppling out of the cupboards."  They wanted to be together and yet knew they were far too different.  They knew it wouldn't last and didn't want to hurt the other, but were stumped as to how to end it.  We have all had those relationships were it would just take too much to make it work and so even though we really liked the person it just wasn't a fight we were willing fight.  The sadness in that realization does not make it any easier.  She says "Depression is contagious..dont let anyone tell you different."

I felt melancholy when I finished the book.  I've said before that I'm not the type who always has to have happy endings and things tied up with a bow, but this one..because it was so real I really wanted it to work.  Definetly worth the time to read it, just grab your box of kleenex!!