ACROSS THE DIVIDE

Bernays presents a memoir of second-chance love set against a backdrop of the wild and beautiful Arizona desert.

The author, a retired entomologist and former professor at the University of Arizona, tells the tumultuous story of meeting and falling in love with her wife, Linda, in Tucson, Arizona. After her husband, Reg, died, Bernays mourned what she calls a marriage “of true soulmates.” Her attraction to women soon emerged, and she met Linda in 2004 at an LGBTQ+ support group. At the time, Linda was married to a man named John who supported her extramarital relationships. The two women came from different backgrounds and enjoyed different things: Bernays spent her childhood in Australia, while Linda grew up in Texas; Bernays loved sampling international cuisines, while Linda stuck to tuna fish and white bread. However, the pair quickly became inseparable as Bernays introduced her new partner to the joys of nature: “We held hands watching flocks of green fig birds with red rings around their eyes as they tackled dark-red umbrella-tree fruits, friar birds dipping their black heads into banksia flowers noisily slurping nectar, and multicolored rainbow lorikeets tearing at hibiscus flowers.” Quietly touching moments, such as Linda’s discovery of a long-lost brother abroad, mingle with plenty of laughter. The portrayal of Linda’s Southern dialect can be a bit grating at times (“They’s big-ass bugs….Look at this one crapping on hisself”), but it’s ultimately important to understanding her personality. Through it all, Bernays remains refreshingly candid about the human condition—about the nuances of what makes one feel valued as an individual, whether it’s through talent or experience. Fans of slow-burn love stories will also enjoy following the couple’s increasing emotional and physical intimacy.

A touching remembrance about two people who went through a lot to find each other.