Never Too Late To Explore 2. Never Too Late

As an elderly man myself, it is so wonderful to read a story whose main character grows in self-awareness in retirement.  This story is extremely well-written, showcasing the disparities in the cultures of those living with meager means and those who are more comfortable.  The relationship that develops between Eric (the retired discoverer) and Andy (a volunteer with a commitment to improving the living conditions for Eric) is a call to us all to look around and help lift up the lives of those who through life's inequities need positive interaction.  Do yourself a favor and read both volumes to date.

Eric is a character of epic proportions , quietly so, whose story unfolds a little gruffly but undoubtedly joyously in the two volumes available to date. 

You’re doing yourself a grave disservice if you don’t even attempt to come to terms with Eric , his world and his courage. 

Imagine if you will growing up and spending your entire life in the repressed rural Great Britain of the last half of the 20th century. Your life has been dedicated to laboring as an estate gardener and hiding that you're gay. You are Eric, a lonely curmudgeon living a rather desolate life but things are changing. Thanks to the help of a charming young gay couple, Andy and Adam, Eric begins to experience some of the things most people take for granted. With their encouragement he slowly delves into aspects of modern life. While not everything is tea and roses Eric learns he can function outside the confines of life in his spare cottage. Even the cottage evolves. He begins to explore LGBTQ culture and find it's okay to tell select friends who he is. Life is a brighter place and there are things to celebrate. Yet, the LGBTQ world seems even more youth obsessed than society in general. How does a lone elderly man find a place? As part of an ever closer friendship Andy and Adam act as his guides. With their support Eric attends the local Pride and his world becomes a more open and hopeful place.

This is the second installment in the tale of Eric's changing life and I highly recommend reading the first volume.

Extremely well written it is somewhat unusual in that the protaganist, Eric, is an elderly man dealing with issues common to older folk. This is not a tale of teenage angst or sex. The consumate portrayal of Eric clearly supports northie's status as a Promising Author.

In addition to Eric's life we learn more about Andy and Adam's world.

Despite a few mishaps along the way, plenty of sunshine, color and kindness brighten the existence of Eric, the old, gay man we met in the first part of this series. He still struggles with being grumpy and arthritic, but with the help of Andy he explores the LGBTQ world, from news stories to the meaning of Pride. We also get to know Andy and his boyfriend better, including their plan for getting married and some family issues.

Northie has done another marvelous job of engaging our hearts with this tale from rural England.

See Droughtquake's marvelous review, and...me, too!

Great read, especially if you're considering the idea of getting older and wiser.

Eric continues to discover new things and have exciting new adventures! Through Eric, we learn how closed up and suppressed some elderly LGBTQs have been to survive a previously extremely hostile environment. While rare these days, it was common in the not-so-distant past for LGBTQs to feel they were the only ones in the world to have same-sex attractions.

Eric struggles to figure out where he fits in an often youth-obsessed LGBTQ community.

He finds joy in things that many of the rest of us think is commonplace.
 

This is not a fast-pace, sex-filled romp. This is a gentle stroll through the life of a proud, stubborn man who has lived his life in isolation, but is now beginning to see other possibilities. This is a reminder of all the freedoms and benefits we enjoy through the struggles and forethought of all the pioneering LGBTQs who came before us.
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…especially if you're considering the idea of getting older and wiser.

It’s much better than the alternative!
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