Man, Woman and Child - A Review

This story happened in late 1970s, in a very ordinary American family. To some extent, it was not a very common family though, because everyone who knew them all admired their perfect family life. But everything changed after a phone call from distant France. Ten years ago, Bob, the husband had had an affair with a French doctor Nicole, who died recently in a car accident, leaving a child named Jean-Claude. Without Bob's knowing for ten years, he was Bob's. An old friend of Bob and Nicole called Bob to see whether Bob could take the child in, at least for a while, during which he could manage the future things well for Jean-Claude. Bob could do nothing but to confess all his past to his wife and they reached a bitter agreement to have that child in their care only for a month. During the torturing month, Bob and his wife Sheila had gone through a lot. Finally they found out the most important thing was the inexorable love--love between the couples, the parents and children. At the end of that predetermined month, Sheila, as well as her two daughters, changed their mind and invited Jean-Claude to live with the whole family in America, because they loved him. However Jean-Claude had to leave and finally left because his mother hoped him to study in a French school. But I believe the Atlantic Ocean was not able to separate the beloved ones, because love was beyond all.

Beautiful face, perfect figure, clever dark eyes, for more, successful in career, highly valuing freedom, attempting to lead an extraordinary life, comes our French doctor Nicole Guerin. It was she who brought the whole story, a brave but willful woman, though ended her legendary life in a car accident.

Honestly, I admired her very much, because of her courage and independence. She ignored regulations, routines, and all those clichés, which was very hard for a woman at that time to do so. But sometimes, was she too willful to create such a story?

I often wondered why Bob fell in love with her just after several days? For her wisdom, sense of humor, or simplicity? I was afraid may be none of them. In my opinion her beauty might be the sharpest spear cutting into every man's heart, arousing mercy and adoration.

If a woman who does not look like an innocent fairy or a fascinating siren or a charming princess, do you think it is quite possible for a man to fall in love with her just after several days' random casual meetings?