Our Grand Finale

Laraine Burrell gets the call to come back to England from the United States just in time to visit briefly with her father before he passes away. Following his death, she is overcome with grief, feeling that she has squandered the time she had with her father. Instead of staying close, she chose to travel the world and seek her own goals as a young woman, always thinking there would be time later on to tell her dad all the things she wanted to tell him--how much she loved him, and how he was her hero. Now, she realizes, it's too late. 

 Wanting to do something significant for her father to make up for her neglect, Burrell reflects on the fascinating life her father, a Royal Yachtsman, led--and decides that the one thing she can do for him is to tell his exceptional life story and make sure he is not forgotten. Our Grand Finale is the culmination of that effort--an exploration of both the author's and her father's unusual life experiences, and a reminder that "later" doesn't always come.


My Review

I enjoyed reading author, Laraine Denny Burrell's story of her childhood as well as her relationship with her parents. Can you imagine growing up while your pet cat is not any normal cat but the royal cat. This was a big story that even the author when she was a young girl made the newspaper with the Schickrys.

What I really enjoyed was reading about the author's father's experience in the Royal Navy. He was proud of his duty, even when he sustained an injury while on duty. He could have reported it and gotten compensation but he chose not to.

Than there is the moment when the author was a little girl and she took a trip to find the horses. This sounds like something I would have done when I was younger. Although, I have only gotten to know the author's father from this book, I do feel that Laraine did honor her father by sharing his story. This book is a thoughtful read.