The Bridges of Madison County

"The Bridges of Madison County" -> The most touching, beautiful and moving love story that I ever read. It always stimulate my glands so much that tears always pour out. haha~~
I bought this book 2 years ago in a 2nd hand book store. Seriously I can not recall where was it now.

Wikipedia:

The Bridges of Madison County is a 1992 best-selling novel by Robert James Waller which tells the story of a lonely Italian war bride who engages in an adulterous affair with a National Geographic photographer from Bellingham, Washington who has come to Madison County, Iowa in order to create a photographic essay on the covered bridges in the area. The novel is presented as a novelization of a true story, but it is in fact entirely fiction. However, the author admitted in an interview that there are strong similarities between the main character and himself.^[1]

The novel is one of the bestselling books of the twentieth century, with 50 million copies sold worldwide.

Its epilogue entitled A Thousand Country Roads was published in 2002. It tells the remainder of the two main characters' story after their four-day affair. They never meet again, but their lives are interlocked until death.

Mmm...the introduction of above sounds as if this books is some trashy adulterous novel.

In fact it is the total opposite. It is what I call True Love. They found true love in each other but they were adults with responsibilities. The lady was married to a man as all woman during her time marry to have a family. It is not for romance or love. Her husband treat her well and with respect. They have a happy family with 2 kids. But there was no candle light dinner, the wine glasses was covered with dust in her kitchen cupboard. There is no need for romantic lingerie or any shaving ( according to the book, guess western woman love or seriously need to shave ;P )

On the surface, everything was nice as it seen. But deep down inside, there is so loneliness something lacking in this seemly perfectness.

Then she met that photographer by chance. The still water was stirred.

On a hot dusty noon, he came driving past her house and stopped. He asked her for direction to the bridges. She was just sitting there enjoying her cup of iced tea with her dog. She pointed it out to him but something told her to meet him there. Maybe out of boredom as she stayed in a small town. Just through simple conversation she and him discovered, at middle age they have found their soul mates. The desire of each other's soul. That night she invited him over for a simple dinner. Her family was out fo town that weekend for a fair in the city.

She cooked simple vegetable stew for him while he sit and listen to the radio. They had a little dance to the music under the moon light. Life could be so simple and so beautiful when u met the right person. The morning after at dawn, he use his camera to take photos for her. To captured the bright arising lights from the sun. She never appeared so beautiful before or after ever. You can only smile so naturally to someone you really trust, love and adore.

When the time came he had to go...he asked her to come along. She was moved but did not. She did not leave her family as her kids were young and her husband... There is no reason for her to subject them to such humiliation of runaway wife with some stranger scandal in a small town. Not for her selfish wish will she destroy her husband and kids lives.

So she stayed as if nothing ever happened before in her small town. And he left to continue chasing his lights. They never met ever again in their lives. Every year on her birthday she will go over his articles on the bridges in national geographic. She wrote a story about them in her diary. The photographer never came to find her again until a lawyer's letter was sent to her about his death and will. Throughout her life she was thankful for this meeting, this chance for her to find out what love can be like.

All their lives been loving, missing each other from afar but due to reality. They can never be together physically but emotionally. I cried every time I read the story.

As I said, this book was bought in a second hand book store. There is something extra, a bonus as it contained 2 love stories. On the inside cover I found written on the page:

24th Nov 1993.

From Gina to Micheal( I hope they never see this),

Dear Micheal,
May our love always hold the passion found between the couple in this book.
I love you

Gina

So...if this book is in a 2nd hand book store....most likely their passion didn't work out that well. Just a wild guess. In my imagination, I pictured Gina selling the book to the store after Micheal return everything to her. She shed tears of shattered love. And goodbye little book.

Nevertheless I cherish this little book a lot. Love... you can feel it but never catch it.

Tiffany~~