Seth Callahan has led an interesting life. One way it’s interesting is by being born in 1946, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Another way is by spending time in two foreign countries. Yet another way is his many experiences with women, what he describes as his “category five hurricanes.”

Now, though, over fifty years after he married the woman of his dreams, she has made a request he can’t deny. She’s dying of cancer, and to ease the pain of losing her when she’s gone, she wants him to write the intriguing story of his life, including the astounding way they eventually met and fell in love.

Seth’s not sure about her request. At seventy-eight, he sometimes wishes he could join her. Regardless, as he starts his story, he finds solace as the words pour from him. The main question, he knows, is how will he cope when he’s finished writing, because life without her, despite experiencing all of those category five hurricanes, is entirely too hard to bear.

Book five of J. Willis Sanders’ Outer Banks of North Carolina series returns us to the simple life in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Back then, in the 1950s, kids walked along sandy trails through live oak woods to the Up the Road school, attended the Methodist church in the area called Down the Road, and visited the general store for the mail and the latest news. Well removed from mainland North Carolina, Outer Banks residents worked hard, played hard, and, like Seth Callahan, loved to the depths of their souls.

To anyone considering the AI narrated audio version of this book, please be aware that AI narration isn’t perfect. One issue you might notice is AI narration is unable to use different voices for different characters, so it may not be clear which character is speaking for short sections of dialogue. Another is the lack of emotion in the narrator’s voice. Despite those issues, AI narration has come a long way, and is still an enjoyable way to listen to a book, especially since they usually cost the purchaser much less than human narrated books.

Thank you for understanding. It is much appreciated.