The Final Note by Kevin Alan Milne

What a wonderful, wonderful book.

It is filled with life's lessons, advice, and love.  The title seems to have dual meanings....music and love.  

The book begins and ends with both music and love and is sprinkled throughout with “love letters” from Anna and Ethan’s music.

Ethan and Anna met by chance in Vienna while she was on vacation and he was finishing his masters in music.  It was a whirlwind romance, and when they returned to the states, they couldn't wait to get married.  Their marriage was made of specially designed promises they declared to each other on their wedding day. 

The marriage was perfect in many ways, but routine days and no money along with the inability to have children, caused things to go downhill.  Ethan and Anna Bright felt their life was filled with:  "Things like this happen," and they were tired of it.  A baby and a lucrative job eventually blessed them, but the stress of the job caused more  problems.  Ethan was working so hard at providing for his family, he was never at home.

Not being at home with his family was a problem that led to an even bigger tragedy for the Brights.  The tragedy revealed a story of forgiveness that Ethan's grandfather had never told anyone from his days in WW II.  Hearing the story helped Ethan deal with the anger he was harboring against the person who caused the tragedy.

I read this book in one day...you will fall in love with the characters and feel their happiness as well as their pain.  It will make you think about what is important in your life.  Tissues needed. 5/5