The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson is an inspiring story about love, friendship, grief, and courage.
Available on Kindle Unlimited with Audible narration included.
This book is part of My Fall 2023 Reading List.
My Overview
Mabel and Arthur have been married for sixty-years, in spite of being complete opposites. For instance, he loves making lists and she doesn’t. When he died suddenly, he left behind an unfinished list that simply stated “Find D”. Mabel finds the list, and assumes Arthur wants her to find her friend Dot. The only problem, is that Mabel and Dot have been estranged for more than sixty years! How will she find Dot? Should she find Dot? Is Dot still alive? Mabel decides there’s only one way to find out, and begins her quest to find Dot.
The longer Mabel searches for Dot, the longer her list gets and the more people she meets. Suddenly, she’s no longer a lonely widow with an empty life. Mabel’s quest to find an old friend, leads her to a group of new friends. Soon enough, she finds herself surrounded by a group of women from different backgrounds and stages in life, who’ve become her close friends. With their help, Mabel learns to let people into her life. Mabel, in turn, helps each of the women with the situations they’re facing.
Aside from the journey of friendship, I enjoyed the story-within-a-story aspect. Through dual timelines alternating between past and present, we learn about Mabel’s life as a young woman and her true love. So, the storyline incorporates both the progression of Mabel’s friendships and the recollection of a love she’s still hoping to find. Overall, this is a story about love, friendship, and having the courage to be who you’re meant to be.
My Recommendation
This is a touching story full of likable and relatable characters. I recommend this book if you enjoy alternating timelines and storylines based on found friendship. The story isn’t centered around the holidays, but Christmas is part of the story, which makes it perfect for this time of year 🎄.
Have you read this book yet?
