Book Review - The Longest Talk by Avery Baines

The Longest Talk by Avery Baines

Available in Kindle edition

A question triggered the concept of this book. 'Do you think they're okay?'

Dorothy and Harold, married for five decades, were sitting quietly on a bench when a girl passing by saw them and asked this question to her partner. In a society where loud noise and constant communication are held as sure signs of normalcy, perhaps their silent presence on the bench came off as strange.

And that is the whole essence of this book - the importance of solitude and personal space in a relationship.

The book is narrated by both Dorothy and Harold. Dorothy grew up in a silent yet loving household, and considers silence as an integral part of her personality. Harold, on the other hand, grew up in a family where there was a need for constant work and effort, and hence feels the need to talk constantly, to plan everything and to micromanage his life and his relationship with Dorothy. This difference almost threatens their relationship. The story is about how they overcame this obstacle and made it together in life.

Present day, when they are in their seventies, the couple reflects upon their life and shares valuable insights on relationships, about giving space to each other and most importantly, about not needing constant communication to keep a relationship alive.

In a society where relationships seemingly require verbal and effortful grandiose, where engagements equal that of a wedding with loud proclamations of love, where weddings are larger than life and too expensive and many of which end in a public and messy separation, the story of Dorothy and Harold comes as a breath of fresh air, reminding us about the beauty of keeping it real and simple in relationships, about allowing silence and solitude to thrive amongst two people and to recognise that each one can be their individual selves inspite of being a couple.

This book is precious for its simple yet priceless insights which are relevant today and will be relevant in every age. Highly, highly recommending it for everyone who has a Dorothy or a Harold in their lives and wants to make it past their differences.