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Friends for A Season: Because Wisdom is Ageless
459 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2026
About the author
Brad Graber
5 books29 followersBrad Graber writes novels because he grew up in a family where no one ever listened to him, so he made up stories about them.
He is the award-winning author of The Intersect, After the Fall, Boca by Moonlight, and a collection of essays, What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream? Friends for A Season is Brad's latest novel. He also writes a humor blog: There, I Said It! Brad lives in Phoenix with his husband, Jeff. For more information on Brad, check out his website at: www.bradgraber.com
He is the award-winning author of The Intersect, After the Fall, Boca by Moonlight, and a collection of essays, What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream? Friends for A Season is Brad's latest novel. He also writes a humor blog: There, I Said It! Brad lives in Phoenix with his husband, Jeff. For more information on Brad, check out his website at: www.bradgraber.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 17, 2026
Beautifully written tale that proves that the people and circumstances that unfold in our lives are not random accidents. It's more of a finely orchestrated series of events, governed by universal forces, leading us through our journey in life -- to the best version of our lives. Each character brings wisdom and humor in vivid detail. The book weaves in and out of the storylines smoothly, culminating in a suspenseful and surprising ending. Loved, loved, loved the ending!! This is a must-read!
April 20, 2026
I really wanted to love this book but found myself disappointed. The idea of a college student being paired with a Senior in a retirement community has been a hot topic since a news story came out years ago where due to crowding students were now living in retirement communities to the benefit of both age groups. But in this case the author keeps Arizona State student Zak and feisty 83yr old Helena apart for far too long.
Zak a freshman, has dealt with hearing loss in one ear since childhood but in spite of warnings from his doctors to protect his hearing, gets a part time job at a bar with a crazy loud house band - a job he needs - because once he told his parents that he was gay, they threw him out and refused to pay for his education beyond the first semester. One evening, the worst happens, in the middle of a shift, Zak realizes that even when he removes his earplug, he can't hear anything out of his 'good' ear.
Helena meanwhile has the dreaded senior citizen moment, the 'I've fallen and can't get up' moment. Fortunately, she comes to and remembers to press her life alert button and has to deal with the mortifying appearance of paramedics finding her sprawled shirtless on her bathroom floor. This experience leads to her decision to move into a snazzy retirement condo which is affiliated with the university, offering the ability to sit in on classes and lectures, use of gym facilities etc. A former novelist, Helena is inspired to start writing again, first some humorous POV columns for the student paper and then even the first few chapters of a new book.
Zak needs surgery to remove a tumor found in his ear, but as he is only 18yrs old he needs an adult to be with him and to be responsible for his care after the operation. The staff at the Ventura want Helena to be more involved with the various activities that the community offers and suggest that she may want to volunteer as a patient advocate for Zak. Finally, our twosome meet.
In his way, the author was making a case that these are two times in our lives where we may feel lonely or overwhelmed by change and that there is room for empathy between the generations. Unfortunately, he spends so much time on the inner monologues of both Zak and Helena, which are either long, whiney, needy catastrophizing from Zak or weird jumbled recitations of past glories or justifications for not being involved in her adult sons' lives for Helena, that it starts to become tiresome. Why does everyone seem to love Zak if he is such a whiney, spineless baby, who has the most defeatist attitude ever found on an 18yr old. Why does Helena go on and on and on about whether or not she was a good mother to her sons if we never ever get to meet them? We don't even get a cursory tried to call but got no answer. Just the endless ruminating and the weird assumption that Helena lost her mind and made-up sons that don't really exist as a symptom that she has begun declining and can't take care of herself.
There is also a long tangent about Zak's high school friend, Alison. The one-time Queen Bee who took him under her wing in high school and invited him to live with her family until college started after his parents kicked him out, now appears for a weekend visit that turns into a weeklong disaster. Alison doesn't understand personal space, or boundaries. She spends money like it grows on trees (or Daddy's credit card) while Zak wonders where he will live if he can't earn enough for the next semester's tuition and board. She manipulates his friends Chuck and Marshall, driving everyone crazy until Zak finally sends her away. Alison pops back up in Zak's hospital room, with his angry parents in tow.
Alison pops up again later when Helena is in trouble and announces that she's moving to Arizona to go to school there and offers to have Zak stay in her off-campus housing. Alison never feels like a real person because we never learn why she showed up in the first place, why she thought dragging his parents there was a good idea, why she - a self-proclaimed actress- would leave NYU and NYC for Tempe, AZ. The boys speculate that she's in love with Zak and this reader guessed that we are to assume that the big fish from the little pond found out that she was a dime a dozen in New York but we never learn anything real about her motivations.
Another went nowhere item was Ruthie. We learn early on that Helena sees her late mother Ruthie and often has conversations with her. We are told it's because Helena has always been psychic, and that lately, after years of living alone, has gotten into the habit of addressing her mother aloud. But this felt mostly as a way to get the otherwise spry, mentally together Helena into a bit of trouble for dramatic purposes. Because of course like in a million bad tv sitcoms, the 'wrong' people overhear her talking to 'herself' and because she's 83yrs old, it 'must' be because the old lady is losing her marbles. I thought the author had something interesting in mind, when Helena can see and speak to the late father of Zak's doctor but nope. It was just a crutch to dig himself out of the corner he'd painted himself into.
This could have been a really sweet story, about found family, and about the wisdom and kindness available to us if we are willing to go beyond the stereotypes of age and youth. Instead, we got this wandering book that seemed ready to mock both age groups. Did we need Gilbert to be an aging Lothario that never takes a hint? Did we need Zak and his friends to constantly point out that they we not familiar with the idioms that everyone else used. (They are educated, not stupid, they are capable of gleaning the meanings from the conversational context). Or the bits about having no idea who actors and celebrities are because 'old', is dumb in a world where kids today binge watch Friends, a 30yr old show, on Netflix. And how are you going to have all three of your college students be gay but have absolutely no idea who Jodie Foster is? These moments didn't feel natural, they seemed deliberately placed to keep reminding you that Zak is YOUNG and Helena is OLD and it's impossible that they could care for each other.
Zak a freshman, has dealt with hearing loss in one ear since childhood but in spite of warnings from his doctors to protect his hearing, gets a part time job at a bar with a crazy loud house band - a job he needs - because once he told his parents that he was gay, they threw him out and refused to pay for his education beyond the first semester. One evening, the worst happens, in the middle of a shift, Zak realizes that even when he removes his earplug, he can't hear anything out of his 'good' ear.
Helena meanwhile has the dreaded senior citizen moment, the 'I've fallen and can't get up' moment. Fortunately, she comes to and remembers to press her life alert button and has to deal with the mortifying appearance of paramedics finding her sprawled shirtless on her bathroom floor. This experience leads to her decision to move into a snazzy retirement condo which is affiliated with the university, offering the ability to sit in on classes and lectures, use of gym facilities etc. A former novelist, Helena is inspired to start writing again, first some humorous POV columns for the student paper and then even the first few chapters of a new book.
Zak needs surgery to remove a tumor found in his ear, but as he is only 18yrs old he needs an adult to be with him and to be responsible for his care after the operation. The staff at the Ventura want Helena to be more involved with the various activities that the community offers and suggest that she may want to volunteer as a patient advocate for Zak. Finally, our twosome meet.
In his way, the author was making a case that these are two times in our lives where we may feel lonely or overwhelmed by change and that there is room for empathy between the generations. Unfortunately, he spends so much time on the inner monologues of both Zak and Helena, which are either long, whiney, needy catastrophizing from Zak or weird jumbled recitations of past glories or justifications for not being involved in her adult sons' lives for Helena, that it starts to become tiresome. Why does everyone seem to love Zak if he is such a whiney, spineless baby, who has the most defeatist attitude ever found on an 18yr old. Why does Helena go on and on and on about whether or not she was a good mother to her sons if we never ever get to meet them? We don't even get a cursory tried to call but got no answer. Just the endless ruminating and the weird assumption that Helena lost her mind and made-up sons that don't really exist as a symptom that she has begun declining and can't take care of herself.
There is also a long tangent about Zak's high school friend, Alison. The one-time Queen Bee who took him under her wing in high school and invited him to live with her family until college started after his parents kicked him out, now appears for a weekend visit that turns into a weeklong disaster. Alison doesn't understand personal space, or boundaries. She spends money like it grows on trees (or Daddy's credit card) while Zak wonders where he will live if he can't earn enough for the next semester's tuition and board. She manipulates his friends Chuck and Marshall, driving everyone crazy until Zak finally sends her away. Alison pops back up in Zak's hospital room, with his angry parents in tow.
Alison pops up again later when Helena is in trouble and announces that she's moving to Arizona to go to school there and offers to have Zak stay in her off-campus housing. Alison never feels like a real person because we never learn why she showed up in the first place, why she thought dragging his parents there was a good idea, why she - a self-proclaimed actress- would leave NYU and NYC for Tempe, AZ. The boys speculate that she's in love with Zak and this reader guessed that we are to assume that the big fish from the little pond found out that she was a dime a dozen in New York but we never learn anything real about her motivations.
Another went nowhere item was Ruthie. We learn early on that Helena sees her late mother Ruthie and often has conversations with her. We are told it's because Helena has always been psychic, and that lately, after years of living alone, has gotten into the habit of addressing her mother aloud. But this felt mostly as a way to get the otherwise spry, mentally together Helena into a bit of trouble for dramatic purposes. Because of course like in a million bad tv sitcoms, the 'wrong' people overhear her talking to 'herself' and because she's 83yrs old, it 'must' be because the old lady is losing her marbles. I thought the author had something interesting in mind, when Helena can see and speak to the late father of Zak's doctor but nope. It was just a crutch to dig himself out of the corner he'd painted himself into.
This could have been a really sweet story, about found family, and about the wisdom and kindness available to us if we are willing to go beyond the stereotypes of age and youth. Instead, we got this wandering book that seemed ready to mock both age groups. Did we need Gilbert to be an aging Lothario that never takes a hint? Did we need Zak and his friends to constantly point out that they we not familiar with the idioms that everyone else used. (They are educated, not stupid, they are capable of gleaning the meanings from the conversational context). Or the bits about having no idea who actors and celebrities are because 'old', is dumb in a world where kids today binge watch Friends, a 30yr old show, on Netflix. And how are you going to have all three of your college students be gay but have absolutely no idea who Jodie Foster is? These moments didn't feel natural, they seemed deliberately placed to keep reminding you that Zak is YOUNG and Helena is OLD and it's impossible that they could care for each other.
April 7, 2026
"As you get older, you'll find that we have friends for a reason, and friends for a season. If we are very lucky, friends for a lifetime"
Friends for a Season by Brad Graber follows the story of Zak, an 18 year old at the prime of this life, faced with a health complication and also of Helena, a 83 year old woman faced with changes in her life that cause her to seek a new living arrangement that she feels will keep her safe as she faces the aging process.
Their stories start seperately but we soon see how their lives become intwined as they deal with the changes in their lives.
This is a story of how "Two generations. Two sets of problems. And yet the ability to solve their issues together through love and mutal respect.
As someone who works in long term care with a brother that is a member of the LGTQIA+ community, I throughly enjoyed the story of both characters. I will and have already recommended this book to my book loving friends and co-workers. It was a easy read with a few comedic points added in that captured my attention and kept me wanting to read to find out how it ended for both Zak and Helena.
Thank you Dark Victory Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own"
Edit Review
Friends for a Season by Brad Graber follows the story of Zak, an 18 year old at the prime of this life, faced with a health complication and also of Helena, a 83 year old woman faced with changes in her life that cause her to seek a new living arrangement that she feels will keep her safe as she faces the aging process.
Their stories start seperately but we soon see how their lives become intwined as they deal with the changes in their lives.
This is a story of how "Two generations. Two sets of problems. And yet the ability to solve their issues together through love and mutal respect.
As someone who works in long term care with a brother that is a member of the LGTQIA+ community, I throughly enjoyed the story of both characters. I will and have already recommended this book to my book loving friends and co-workers. It was a easy read with a few comedic points added in that captured my attention and kept me wanting to read to find out how it ended for both Zak and Helena.
Thank you Dark Victory Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own"
Edit Review
June 6, 2026
I usually enjoy books about “found families” and was intrigued with the premise, but ultimately, I was disappointed with this book. It took too long to introduce the characters, who quite honestly, I couldn’t relate to. The first 40% of the book could have been reduced to two chapters- one introducing Zak and one introducing Helena. The side story with Allison was unnecessary and the jealous drama really just made Zak very unlikeable. It was exhausting to have their struggles repeated over and over again. Yes, Helena, we know you are estranged from your two grown children. Okay, Zak, we get it, you are all on your own and have no idea how you are going to pay for college.
I hung in though and was invested by the end, but I found the resolution to be disappointing. They alluded to a larger issue, and I was hoping for a resolution that included the bigger picture, not just a resolution for Helena.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dark Victory Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I hung in though and was invested by the end, but I found the resolution to be disappointing. They alluded to a larger issue, and I was hoping for a resolution that included the bigger picture, not just a resolution for Helena.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dark Victory Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 14, 2026
I found myself smiling as I read most of this. The author has a certain dry wit and keen observation skills for both people and places. The story is set in Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona, where I live, so I recognized a lot of the places he references. Specifically, he homes in on a unique partnership that Arizona State University developed - a senior living community near campus that welcomes residents to audit any classes. It's designed to bring together different generations. I have visited that facility, so this book came to life for me while reading it.
The book is fiction, and has a depth of thought about aging, friendships and family relationships. When Zak, a college freshman, comes out as gay to his family, they reject him. Then he is matched with Helena, an 83-year-old having surgery, who has her own family rejections.
It's a sweet story, that touches on serious subjects, but in a lighter way. It's a delightful read.
The book is fiction, and has a depth of thought about aging, friendships and family relationships. When Zak, a college freshman, comes out as gay to his family, they reject him. Then he is matched with Helena, an 83-year-old having surgery, who has her own family rejections.
It's a sweet story, that touches on serious subjects, but in a lighter way. It's a delightful read.
June 25, 2026
A beautiful tale of a growing friendship between two very different people at different times in their lives. An older lady who feels she is no longer involved in life and a young man who is at the start of his life. I really enjoyed where these two people will take you
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a beautiful story of friendship
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a beautiful story of friendship
April 27, 2026
Disappointing - felt like two different stories that didn't come together.
July 7, 2026
I thought this was a very enjoyable book. I would definitely read more from this author.
July 13, 2026
It was a short story drawn out far too long. Not relatable. Snail pace read. Sorry, but it needs to be restructured.
July 17, 2026
Heartwarming!
I enjoyed the story and how well written it was. Nice intergenerational plot of two stranger becoming family when their own were estranged.
I enjoyed the story and how well written it was. Nice intergenerational plot of two stranger becoming family when their own were estranged.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews