As this remarkable book, 'Sacred Memoirs of a Retired Failure', shows both in an entertaining and enlightened way, retirement is a life challenge in itself. The busy hub of life is ended and there is time to evaluate. If recent bereavement is added to the equation, contemplating the future may be almost unbearable. Doug is in this situation. He struggles with loneliness as he moves into a new home, tries to make some sense of his past and find a future. He is haunted by feelings of failure in his career as an Anglican clergyman. He dearly misses his wife Mary and her support; he knows that it is only she who could have made sense of his constant questions and doubt. Before Mary died, Doug promised her he would write a book in retirement, a sort of autobiography. He rescues Ruby, an abandoned dog and feels less lonely. Then he meets a lady of whom he has high hopes, but she lets him down. In his search he finds a challenging, exciting option which, Doug hopes, will join the pieces of his life together.
