The story begins in 2000 with 86-year-old Lazaro bumping down the road in the dusty old pickup he hasn't driven in years. Undaunted by his lack of a valid driver's license, Lazaro heads for the Florida Keys, where his old friend Dominic withers away from cancer. Although the men haven't seen each other in 60 years, they have unfinished business - the chess board they have played on since the 1930s, faithfully recording the winner of every game, shows a tie. Lazaro won't let his old friend go without a rematch.

As Lazaro drives, his mind wanders over the "single, nearly complete, linear memory of his life" (6). He remembers losing his mother in Cuba, then migrating to the Keys with his father. As a young man, Lazaro yields to the pull of the sea, cutting through the water on his runabout, fishing for grouper, exploring the reefs, and basking in the Florida sun. After working in the fishing camp one day, Lazaro enters a local saloon to find a stranger sitting at the bar. The man proposes a game of chess. As the men play, Lazaro discovers the stranger's name is Dominic, and he works as an engineer for the Overseas Railroad and Toll Commission. Dominic's warm, friendly manner draws Lazaro to him, and the men quickly become friends. Despite marriage, divorce, tragedy and sorrows, the two continue to play, always finding common ground over the board.

It is on Labor Day 1935 that things start to change. On that day, a deadly hurricane hits the Keys (the hurricane actually occurred, although it claimed no victims in the Keys) and Lazaro's life is forever altered. Plagued by guilt, he flees the tropics and makes a life for himself in Chicago. Although Dominic writes often, begging Lazaro to return to the Keys and their chess games, Lazaro stuffs his past onto the cellar shelf and tries to forget his former life. It is only when Lazaro receives a call from Dominic's nurse begging him to visit before Dominic dies, that Lazaro returns to the Keys. The chessboard comes out of the cellar and makes the trip as well.

As Lazaro reconnects with his old friend, he realizes not only how much he's missed Dominic, but also how much their friendship has shaped his life. As the old men reminisce, Lazaro realizes he must come to terms with his past in order to grant his dying friend's final wish. Can he face the pain of the past? And what will it mean for his future? Will the chessboard that started it all lead to a reconciliation? Or will the final game remain unplayed?

I loved this sweet story about two elderly men reconnecting over a chessboard. It's a simple, touching tale set against a vibrant Florida background. Andrew Jalbert paints his setting with authority, clearly building on his own experience as a mariner, fisherman and explorer to create an intriguing backdrop for his story. Still, it's the relationship between the characters that makes the novel. The beauty of their friendship makes the story a warm, engaging read. Even as the novel draws to its inevitable conclusion, the tale resists sappy platitudes and celebrates lives well lived.

West Across the Board won't win a Pulitzer for the brilliance of its writing, but it's one of those books that makes you remember why you read. It's simply a lovely book that reminds you of what's really important - goodness, friendship and the "games" that make life worth living.

Grade: B