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Marianne Sciucco is not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse, using her skills and experience to create stories that bear witness to the humanity in all of us. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Boston and Regents College, she lives, works, and writes in New York’s Hud-son Valley.
Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite
Blue Hydrangeas by Marianne Sciucco is a beautiful romantic tear-jerker. It tore at my heart but also made me smile. Sara and Jack have had a wonderful life together and are enjoying their retirement dreams; they live in a home in Cape Cod that they turned into a lovely bed and breakfast inn. Sadly, Sara is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and it slowly takes pieces of herself. Jack and Sara love each other deeply and vow to stay together, no matter what. Alzheimer’s takes its toll on both of them, however, becoming worse year after year and day after day. Sara becomes less and less capable of doing everyday chores. Jack is forced to take on more and more responsibilities. When Sara falls and ends up in the hospital and Jack’s heart gets weaker, it becomes obvious that it is time to put Sara in an assisted living facility. The idea of not waking up beside Sara every morning is more than Jack can handle, so instead of dropping her off at the facility they go on a short adventure. It doesn't go well and Jack realizes he can’t go back to his past and he can’t change his future.
Blue Hydrangeas is a well written and not to be missed book. It is a fairy tale romance without the typical storybook happily ever after ending. Marianne Sciucco has written a charming love story dealing with real life happiness and real life tragedy. Sara and Jack could be the story of my grandparents, the story of my parents and my own future reality. I felt their pain and shared in their joys. Marianne Sciucco will find Blue Hydrangeas on the best seller list for many weeks. I absolutely loved this book and give it a ten star rating.
