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Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite
"Too Early for Flowers" is a novel with actual characters and dedicated to Polio moms. Iris left Hardscrabble, Illinois, in 1940 never intending to return; she had plans to travel. Life doesn’t always go as we plan. In 1949 Iris returned to Hardscrabble, IL, as a widow and with her two young sons. Her husband died a short time after returning from war. There was little choice over where they would live. Ida’s home was small but they managed between Iris and her mother, but the children were well-cared for. Gray had polio and walked with a brace. Iris knew she had to push Gray to his limits and beyond if he was going to walk without the brace. The time came when she realized she was ready to go on with her life. She was having some car problems and Bill came to her rescue. He fixed her car and won her heart. Iris’s life wasn’t easy. She was young when she became a widow. Then her young son came down with polio. However, he was one of the lucky ones: he lived and could walk with braces. But her story doesn’t end here.
"Too Early for Flowers" is a poignant novel written as a tribute to Iris. Later in life Gray came to understand the favor his mother had done him by insisting that he should try harder and always go the extra step despite the pain. Iris made him strong by making him learn to fight. This book is a mere 92 pages in length. The plot is well-organized, written and developed. This tale is character-driven. I could not help but admire the strength of Iris and later of Gray. While I do not agree with the author’s stance on euthanasia, I can understand why someone with a debilitating illness would consider it. "Too Early for Flowers" will tug at the strings of the reader's heart. Author Kurt Sipolski pours his heart and memories into this book.
