Awesome...moving...emotional.. Heartbreaking

I'm not crying, you're crying! And here I thought "Hawaii" couldn't get any sadder! :''(

This is probably the way it would have ended - Jerusha dying from being overworked and malnourished as her heart failed (yes, I recognised those subtle signs of an incoming heart attack). Abner's sin was his pride which, coupled with his zealotry, had prevented him to truly express his feelings for Jerusha on her deathbed. So tragic how her life was wasted and her husband did not have the courage to grant her dying wish.

Jerusha was a wise woman. She knew her husband and accepted his imperfections. She had her own flaws, though they don't get into those in this novel. She was very loyal, and I don't think that for one minute she wished to have been the wife of Rafer Hoxworth. She knew he would've been unfaithful to her.

This is a wonderful story, and a beautiful tribute to a real movie classic!

I always enjoyed the movie version of Abner’s elder years over the book version-he took on a more enlightened attitude. But the book is probably more realistic.

I recognize Abner in your story. It’s me. And I know what halted his tongue-shame and candor. Would he have been better to say it, and delight his wife’s final moments, even though they both might know it might not be true? Yes. Candor be damned-at least in this case. I am now divorced. There’s a life lesson for you. Women want to be told they’re loved

Better to be “one that lov'd not wisely but too well”, to quote Shakespeare. That was said, of course, by Othello-who killed his wife by a more direct means, ironically. Now, that fella’s problem wasn’t too much love-it was too much suspicion and possessiveness-the same problem as that of modern wife beaters-but that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Descriptive-faithful to Michener-stark ending.