THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE GREAT UNEXPECTED – DAN MOONEY

Why had I not heard of this book before? I wouldn’t have ever discovered it if it hadn’t been on sale through one of my audiobook sites, and I’m so grateful it was. This is the story of Joel, an elderly man who lives in a nursing home. He has lost his wife, his roommate is in a coma and has never spoken to him – and yet this comatose man is probably the person closest to him when we meet him. And yet, Joel isn’t alone. He has a daughter and two grandchildren who visit (under protest, in the case of the grandkids) and friends in the nursing home. But he’s become so firmly entrenched in his grief and anger that he can’t see past it.

Then one night his roommate dies. He awakes to the sight of a nurse trying to resuscitate him, and the image of the violence of this causes him lasting distress. To add insult to injury, he’s then given a new roommate – a flamboyant ex-actor with a booming laugh, a selection of silk scarves, pretentious literature and a constant flow of people who want to spend time with him. Frank was on a soap opera, and is somewhat well known. At first, Joel can’t stand him. He’s annoyed by the TV he watches, he hates having a new roommate, he resents the nurses who have inflicted this on him, and Frank’s very presence.

But to everyone’s surprise, particularly Joel himself, this annoyance breaks through his numbness. It makes him feel, and that initial feeling is the beginning of other feelings starting to leak in. He starts noticing the people around him, and wondering about them. Frank helps because he’s not one to be ignored. He begins making fun of Joel, and enjoys getting a rise out of him. The two are soon spending more time together, and Frank is a surprising ally.

One day on a walk, Frank confides in Joel. He tells him about his past as a gay boy in a homophobic time, family and place. He relates the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, and his decision to leave his family behind, change his name, and become an actor. At first, Joel is shocked. He also grew up in a time when homosexuality was not commonly shared openly, and this is the first person he has had in his life who is gay. His reaction isn’t great, and he and Frank go their separate ways. Later, though, Joel has some time to think about it. He realizes that he regrets his response. Frank is his friend (despite his resistance to that friendship), and his friendship means more to Joel than he had realized. He chooses to share his own truth with Frank, and bridge the gap that has opened up between them.

This is the beginning of, as they say, a beautiful friendship. The two form an unlikely duo and get up to all kinds of hijinks. Joel has always been a rule follower, but he resents being a “prisoner” in the nursing home. He hates being locked in every night, being forbidden to leave the grounds and being supervised when given his medication. He doesn’t like being treated like a child, in his words. But until Frank comes along, it never occurs to him to do anything about it other than gripe and dig in his heels. Frank, on the other hand, begins scheming. And before you know it, the two are on the lam – not once, but multiple times. They have adventures, they have new experiences, and they share their stories.

Through this friendship, Joel makes some remarkable discoveries. He has a chance to see his family and the staff at the nursing home through Frank’s eyes. He gets to re-visit parts of his past and analyze the regrets he holds while there’s still time to work on fixing some of them. He learns that sometimes people around him are trying to help, not trying to force him into things he doesn’t want. And, for the first time in his life, he gets to feel freedom, even if it is short-lived. He may be in his mid-seventies, but he’s not too old to change.

I adored this book. I often complain about the dearth of stories about older people, and I know many other readers also look for great books with protagonists who are in a later stage of life. This book will definitely appeal to anyone who is in search of these late-in-life stories – fans of the Thursday Murder Club series and A Man Called Ove will find a lot of similarities here. But above all, this book shows that no matter how old you are, there’s always time to learn, to grow, and to make amends. A surprising hit, this book is one of my favourite reads so far this year.

Joel lives in a nursing home, and he’s not one bit happy about it. He hates being told when to eat, when to sleep, when to take his pills. He’s fed up with life and begins to plan a way out when his new roommate, a retired soap opera actor named Frank, moves in and turns the nursing-home community upside down.

Though the two men couldn’t be more opposite, a fast friendship is formed when Frank is the only one who listens to and stands up for Joel. When he tells Frank about his burgeoning plan, they embark together on a mission to find the perfect escape, and along the way will discover that it’s never too late for new beginnings.

Filled with colorful characters, sparkling humor and deep emotion, The Great Unexpected is the story of friendship, finding oneself later in life and experiencing newfound joy in the most unexpected places. – Goodreads

Book Title: The Great Unexpected
Author: Dan Mooney
Series: No
Edition: Audiobook
Published By: Park Row
Released: August 15, 2018
Genre: Fiction, Seniors, Death, Family, Late-Learners, Friendship, Rebellion
Pages: 368
Date Read: February 25-March 5, 2024
Rating: 8/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.12/5 (1,961 ratings)