The subtitle “A Spicy Lesbian Romance” belies the true emotional depth of Kathleen Brehony’s The Third Act. This story is a testament to the unbreakable connection between a “Tribe” of 60ish lesbian women, and the unexpected possibility of love appearing even in the darkest of times.
The story opens as Shannon, a member of the Tribe, witnesses her lifelong best friend, Linda, pass away after a decade-long battle with breast cancer.
Shannon has been by Linda’s side during the last part of her battle, and now she’s the friend who sends the rest of The Tribe the simple message “She’s gone.” They make a plan to come together on Labor Day weekend to celebrate Linda’s life at Shannon’s family’s beachside resort on the Jersey shore in the hopes that the closeness and comfort they’ve shared as friends all these years will help them begin to heal. When they arrive at the coastal cottage, they toast their friendship with a quote from Rumi, “Friend our closeness is this: anywhere you put your foot, you feel me in the firmness underneath you.”
It is here, with the gathered Tribe, that we begin to understand the long, complicated history between Shannon O’Connell and Elizabeth Mathews.
Many decades earlier, Elizabeth and Shannon shared a tequila-fueled night of passion while Elizabeth was going through a breakup. It was a night that neither Elizabeth nor Shannon have ever forgotten, but the complications of life kept that passion from growing further. Each became involved with different people over the years and never could find a time when they were both single to try out a deeper relationship. Now, they are together again, both free to honor their friend and reconnect with each other.
During the long weekend, Elizabeth shares Shannon’s bungalow on the beach and long-simmering emotions bubble to the surface.
Shannon hesitates, shaken by the end of her 27-year relationship with her girlfriend, Kim, who betrayed her with another woman. She is afraid to have her heart broken again. Even as Shannon and Elizabeth finally act on their sexual attraction, the combination of Linda’s death, her mother’s Alzheimer’s, and Kim’s betrayal may be just too much for Shannon to recover from.
For women of a certain age beginning their own ‘Third Act,’ who have lost a best friend after a valiant fight with metastatic cancer, or have had their heart torn apart by betrayal, this novel touches on many of life’s universal experiences and lessons about friendship, love, and loss.
A message from Linda, pre-recorded to play at her Celebration of Life ceremony, challenges the Tribe to live their lives to the fullest, doing all that they plan to do. As she stares directly into the camera, Linda smiles and tells her friends, “I’m talking to you.”
This “spicy lesbian romance” is lovely not just in its exploration of long-time friendships. It’s also a celebration of women “of a certain age.”
Still vibrant, creative and loving, Kathleen Brehony’s The Third Act portrays women who are worthy of relationships both supportive and sensual. There is something empowering about finally acknowledging the wisdom and authenticity—and sexiness—that comes from really knowing who we are as women. Shannon, Elizabeth, Linda, and the whole Tribe are a perfect illustration of how that sentiment opens welcoming doors to new experiences and the joy of living to your full potential.
