The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt

I read the hardback edition of The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt in record time! This memoir has been on my reading wishlist since its release and I was lucky enough to find a copy of this book at a Little Free Library in Solana Beach, California earlier this month. I knew the basic outline of both Anderson Cooper's life and Gloria Vanderbilt's life, but learned so much more about each of their lives in this memoir that showcased their relationship as mother and son. I enjoyed how their memoir is written in the form of emails to each other. 

The following are some quotes I found interesting that Gloria Vanderbilt expressed in The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss:

"Death is the price we pay for being born." page 13

"Without plans, I believe in dreams, even if sometimes they melt like ice cream." page 171

"Hope has energy and its own life force to make dreams come true." page 277

The following is a summary for The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt from Amazon:

Though Anderson Cooper has always considered himself close to his mother, his intensely busy career as a journalist for CNN and CBS affords him little time to spend with her. After she suffers a brief but serious illness at the age of ninety-one, they resolve to change their relationship by beginning a year-long conversation unlike any they had ever had before. The result is a correspondence of surprising honesty and depth in which they discuss their lives, the things that matter to them, and what they still want to learn about each other. 

Both a son’s love letter to his mother and an unconventional mom’s life lessons for her grown son, The Rainbow Comes and Goes offers a rare window into their close relationship and fascinating life stories, including their tragedies and triumphs. In these often humorous and moving exchanges, they share their most private thoughts and the hard-earned truths they’ve learned along the way. In their words their distinctive personalities shine through—Anderson’s journalistic outlook on the world is a sharp contrast to his mother’s idealism and unwavering optimism. 

An appealing memoir with inspirational advice, The Rainbow Comes and Goes is a beautiful and affectionate celebration of the universal bond between a parent and a child, and a thoughtful reflection on life, reminding us of the precious insight that remains to be shared, no matter our age.

I am giving The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son On Life, Love, and Loss by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!