I Understand – The Longest Ride

So, I finished reading The Longest Ride last night. Cue the tears! I sobbed and sobbed towards the end, but it was amazing and beautiful.

Without giving away too much in case you plan on reading it….I just really wanted to share some insight on the book. I am so glad that I read it.

The book basically jumps back in forth between two story lines.  An elderly man(Ira) in a car crash who talks with his dead wife (Ruth) to hold on. They reminisce about how they met, their love story, their problems, and how much they really meant to each other. You see, they collected art by artists who were just starting out, but later became very well known. Their collection ended up being very unique and expansive. Worth unbelievable amounts of money. But to them, it was a story of their love, the memories of meeting the artists and becoming friends, traveling to see different museums, etc. A news reporter does a story about the collection several years after Ira’s wife passes away. Ira doesn’t like the article because it leaves out what the collection was really about, his love for Ruth. He just wants people to understand that his collection is NOT about money. It is about a lifetime of love. The money doesn’t matter.

The other story line the book follows is a blooming love between a professional bull rider named Luke and a college student named Sophia who dreams of working in a museum one day. They are both different, yet similar. Their love is strong, even from the very beginning. The book follows along when they meet, how their relationship transpires, some things from the past that they must overcome, and their love for one another.

It is amazing to see how Ira’s path crosses with Luke and Sophia’s. They understand what is important to Ira most. His love for Ruth.

The book is unique in that it has details from World War II and a lot of information about different artists and the start of modern art. You learn a little bit as your heart overflows with the love stories.

While reading, seeing Ira try to make people understand how much he loved Ruth and how little the money really meant to him was beautiful. It is a good reminder that love conquers all. Love is what makes people happy. That no money in the world can fill the void of love. Ira just wanted his story told properly. He wanted people to understand.