I was given this book from a vendor who was speaking at a meeting about how to give quick summaries of books to entice others to read it. He summarized this book as "A coming of age story about a 60-year old communist man in today's world" (or something like that). Well, it was that and more. This is really a charming book about an older man who hasn't changed in 40 years until suddenly he begins examining his life and revealing secrets that challenge his intellectual and emotional foundations. I enjoyed the writing style so much that I kept thinking that it was a non-fiction, memoir that I was reading. The author did a fantastic job of allowing the main character to continually reassess his political and social philosophical ideals. If you like a book about a character that eventually embraces inevitable change and enjoy reading about how he/she deals with that adventure, give this book a try.