Getting it Right, if Ever – Romance Novella

"Getting It Right, If Ever" is a blend of fantasy and realism. The action takes place in two imaginary countries at the beginning of the seventies. Benji is a forty-year-old light-skinned gardener, handyman, and aspiring poet who hails from TeeGee Island, an imaginary island in the British Caribbean. After Sunday service, Benji meets forty-five-year-old Molly, a visitor to TeeGee Island. They become pen pals, and she invites him to Vikland––an imaginary country in Northern Europe. Benji is beside himself with joy and gets the opportunity to visit another country for the first time. A few personal grievances plague Benji. His youthful appearance––hairless face and bright eyes––bothers him, prompting him to sport a full beard and dreadlocks of grey to appear older and hoping it will enhance his self-esteem. Another grievance is his light complexion. The tropical climate did little to make him darker and was not sufficient to Benji's liking. He is known in his village YoYo as 'reds' because of his complexion, but Benji refers to himself as African––wishing he was jet black. Benji also treasures the ambition to become a published poet but hasn't had much luck. Then a year or more later, Benji catches sight of a beautiful, brown-skinned woman in Vikland, becomes spellbound and sets out to win her affection. However, Benji's wooing becomes anything but straightforward, as if the woman's beauty casts a spell over him. His approach is courageous though not conventional. Olga's Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars Such a deep understanding of human nature on every page! Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2019 This is the book of life and love, of friendship and loneliness, of hope and despair and a lot more! While reading, I am always trying to imagine what the ending will be: this time I haven't come even close. Lawrence G. Taylor has created his novel in that amazing style, that one simply wonders how writing could have ever been this great! I was impressed that this fascinating read could evoke such warm memories and feelings in me. To develop the story of the relationship of Benji, the 40-year-old Caribbean gardener, and Angelica, whose affection he is desperately trying to win, the author uses simple but so greatly chosen details that speak a lot about characters and events. Benji's love for jazz, the way he compares his beloved woman to actress Dorothy Dandrige, and many more things help to create a picture that is so easy to visualize. I was stunned by Benji's analogy of human beauty when he compared it with "fresh flowers in a vase" – the metaphor was used in an unexpected way. However, my favorite thought from the book is: "It's not the thing itself, but how we understand it that affects us emotionally." So simple, yet so true! The picturesque characters of Benji's friend Monica, Angelica's ex-lover Ram-Paul and numerous flash-backs just add miraculously to the whole narrative, leaving a great after-feeling of reading a true life story. The author managed to convey such a deep understanding of human nature - both man and woman - on every page of his book. I recommend this book to everyone! Reading it was like looking inside of oneself and experiencing different feelings through the masterfully crafted characters and story.