Meet Virginia by Buddy Feeney – Book Review
by Buddy Feeney
Some love stories aren’t neatly wrapped up; instead, they’re unvarnished, unfinished, and filled with feelings that persist long beyond the last page. That is just what Buddy Feeney’s Meet Virginia is – a moving, exquisitely written story of lost opportunities, tumultuous love, and the unrelenting tug of destiny.
I was so happy to receive a review copy of this book to appreciate and share with you all. I was intrigued by the description and excited to read it, and it did not disappoint. The opening in present day New York City launches us right into a first-person account of Ethan’s story. He’s an antiques broker, with a job that takes him all over, to meet some very interesting people.
Ethan Carter is a man who thrives on intuition, the excitement of a deal, and a well-planned life in New York City. Well-timed exits, neat whiskey, and an unwillingness to look back are the cornerstones of his world. However, his history and present intersect when Ginny Sinclair, the one who got away, reappears after twenty years, making him face the one thing he has always evaded: love that endures.
“There are eight million people in New York City, and somehow, I still manage to run into the one person I never expected to see again but never stopped thinking about.”
From that first line, and the direct, humorous and often cynical style of the narration, I knew I was in for a great ride. Running into Ginny is the last thing Ethan had on his to-do list, but sometimes fate has other plans, I guess.
20 years ago, she was the one who got away. Now she’s back – and still impossible to ignore. Follow along as we see how Ethan and Ginny end up back in one another’s lives.
With incisive, unvarnished prose, Feeney skillfully tells the tale of Ethan and Ginny, capturing the essence of two people who were never quite apart yet never completely in sync. There are incomplete phrases and old ghosts that won’t go away in their rekindled relationship, which is electric. We feel every ounce of remorse, hope, and longing that infuses their encounters through the emotional depth of the writing.
The characters are relatable, their struggles real, and the story, one that a lot of people have experienced in some way for themselves. But will they get a happy ending? Is a happily ever after even what’s meant for these two?
Meet Virginia exposes the intricacies of timing, human development, and the agonizing realities of decisions made; it does not romanticize love. The path of Ethan and Ginny is both heartbreaking and incredibly fulfilling, and they are imperfect but fully formed people, and the writing makes you want to root for them and their happiness.
But is time once again, not on their side?
This book is excellent for individuals who enjoy character-driven stories. It is incisive yet intensely emotional, reflective yet brisk. Ethan doesn’t pull punches in life, and the book doesn’t either.
The dialogue is really well done. We get a lot of insight to our characters from their conversations and it makes them all start to feel like long friends. Ethan is a bit of a smart-ass, in his conversations and his thoughts in his head and I found myself laughing out loud a lot.
Meet Virginia is ultimately a tale of second chances, but not in the way one might anticipate. It poses difficult queries, such as whether love endures. Is it possible for humans to change? And can you change the course of your life at any point?
Probably questions we all ponder – I know I have.
Although Feeney doesn’t provide us with simple solutions, he does provide us something even better: a profoundly moving book that will stick with you long after you’ve finished reading it.
Anyone who like literary fiction with heart, grit, and an uncompromising examination of the complexities of human connection should definitely read this book. Available on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited.
For fans of: Californication, High Fidelity, The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P., and The Bear.