Books
6 Novels About Do-Overs, Starting Over, and Second Chances
We just closed the cover on Steve Yarbrough’s latest novel, The Realm of Last Chances (Knopf), in which a California couple relocates to Massachusetts to start over in the aftermath of the economic downturn. Their marriage stagnant and their careers in flux, the two just want a second chance, and they are hardly the first. It reminded us that literary history is full of people who didn’t get things right the first time around, and here we bring you six more tales of those hoping to press the restart button.
'Persuasion' by Jane Austen
In Jane Austen’s final novel, Anne Elliot finds herself at the unmarriageable old age of 27 with no husband and a self-centered father to look after. Though seemingly resigned to her life, Anne as never recovered from her heartbreak eight years before. But with a little luck, she might just get another shot at happiness.
'The Notebook' by Nicholas Sparks
Is this story sappy? Yes. Is it a classic? Definitely yes! Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton come from different worlds, but they fall in love one Great Depression summer in spite of everything, only to be separated come fall. Will they ever find each other again? Well, you can probably guess, but it’s a heartwarming read none-the-less.
'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald
When young Nick Carraway moves in next to the enigmatic Jay Gatsby, he has no idea that he’ll wind up entangled in a story of long lost love and dangerous ambition. Gatsby is convinced that the past can be rewritten, but his attempts to reclaim what might have been have more consequences than he could have imagined.
'The Awakening' by Kate Chopin
Edna Pontellier lived the life she was supposed to for a long time, getting married, having children, conforming to societal expectations at every turn. But when Edna realizes it isn’t quite what she wants, she discovers that remaking her life might not even be possible. Written in 1899, it is still shockingly applicable to the modern world and the expectations laid on women even today.
'Love in the Time of Cholera' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Set in Garcia Marquez’s native Colombia, the story begins with an entirely indecent marriage proposal that might not be as outlandish as it seems. Florentino Ariza has waited most of his life for Fermina Daza with a quiet devotion and unyielding passion. Whether or not two people can be together after decades apart, however, remains to be seen.
'The Remains of the Day' by Kazuo Ishiguro
Steven, a butler living in post-World War II England is the product of a bygone era, a world that doesn’t really exist anymore. He sets off across the English countryside one day to visit an old friend, and along the way must confront the choices he’s made. He keeps forging on with the vague hope that maybe he can get another chance at life.
