David Wheaton is on his death bed. From his boat in the Pacific Ocean, he shares his life memories – hopes and regrets with his daughter Emma who has come to be with him these last days. Having had 9 wives and eleven children, David has had quite a life. As an actor, there is one role he had always hoped to play and now regrets deeply he never had the chance to do so – and that was the role of King David. Emma’s husband had struggled writing a play for David Wheaton to create the much coveted role for him.
While Emma works to gather the family for David’s final moments on earth,as readers we see the parallels between the two David’s – in some cases even hitting a little close to home for the Wheaton family.
Luke 24:22: Certain women made us astonished
I read this book as our first read of 2011 with the Faith N Fiction group. Madelaine L’ Engle is most known for her work with children’s books, probably mostly known for writing A Wrinkle In Time (a book I have never read).
I thought this would be a book I could read within a couple of days and be done in plenty of time for our discussion that started in early February. This turned out not to be the case. I spent much time getting to know the characters as tends to happen for me when a book is loaded with characters such as this. I back track and try to capture who each person is as they are introduced. That fact, as well as just a busy time of life caused me to pop in late to the discuss points of what was an interesting read.
A theme that was brought up that I personally enjoyed was how as David recalls his marriages (all eight of them!) as they often reflected the life and wives of the Biblical David. You could almost hear the whispers of the Biblical David’s wives coming from between the lines. Written with a witty and lyrical pen, I found L’Engle’s writing to be just what I would have expected from a family such as David’s who was deeply embedded in the arts of acting, producing, and such.
If anything, I found, as well as a few in our group discussion that the parallels between the two David’s became a bit much. Not so much the parallel itself, but the fact that the author had a habit of pointing out that this was a parallel with things like “…. much like the David of the Bible….” I prefer to figure these things out for myself more than feeling like I am led by the hand through a read.
Another part of our group discussion was a heavier topic in the book that I do not wish to give away but unfortunately is a topic that is all to real for many of us. Some felt it was tiring to constantly see this come up, while other found it as I mentioned here – something that is real. (Hope I was not too cryptic here but trying hard not to give anything away.) 😀
A well-rounded read that covered many topics. David has really had the life and Certain Women, being told in a reflective manner is a brilliant way to write this particular story.
I found the book descriptive and while more work to read than I had planned for, I am glad I had the opportunity to read and discuss this book.
For me personally I recall the part where David (Wheaton) reflects on how badly he has screwed it all up and how he wishes he could change the way he handled many things in his life. David in The Bible also lived with much regret, and this reminds me of how God used those of us who are broke, damaged, vessels and fills us up. A reminder, that we all are human – we are going to screw this thing up, and God will still be able to use is if we only let Him.
Please stop by and see what the other Faith N Fiction Participants have to say:
I started my car this morning to drive into town from the cabin for internet service and it was -13. That’s a negative.
But – I am here…
and that’s a positive.
Last time I was at the cabin was the first weekend of November when we had a girls baking and crafting weekend here. I made it to the cabin yesterday around 3:00 pm…. got settled and watched a little tv. set up my paperwork, read a little…. and promptly fell asleep. 😯
Ok… so much for day one.
However today is a new day and I am excited to get started. I am in a little cafe in Silver Bay Minnesota. There is a table of 4 older men… and another table of a family. I am the only one with a laptop…. much as it has been any time that I have come in here for internet. Even the internet is mine… we have Verizon so I get internet wherever I have phone service.
There is a new sign in the cafe. It reads:
“No Work Boots Allowed In This Dining Room!”
If I ever do write that fictional story in my head – that line above has to go in it somewhere. 😛
Today when I go back to the cabin I will be writing the day away. I am ready.
Tomorrow morning I need to head back home early as it is our week serving the homeless and I have to help set up at noon. I plan to be on the road about 7 am.
Vera and her older brother Will live in a futuristic world where Water is the new money. As the kids help their father take care of their ill mother the search for water is a daily task and forever on their minds. Vera’s friend Kai and his dad have a rare wealth due to Kai’s dad being a water driller. When Kai fails to show up one day, Vera and Will discover that Kai has been abducted.
The search for their friend will take them beyond their republic of Illinowa and through the republic of Minnesota and Canada. As they travel they are befriended by pirates and at one point even taken hostage by terrorists. Eventually making their way to Bluewater, the area that has the monopoly on the water desalinization process. This is where they find Kai and his father and a whole world of trouble beyond what they could have ever imagined.
Water Wars was a fast read of dystopian fiction that hits on a topic all too close to home. With talks of real life water shortages in the world’s future I found this book to be a look into a possible reality which for me, hit real close to the scary mark. I could picture the people fighting for water and the look of them from the lack of it. I really had to take a long hard look at my own water waste in my life (Ie… running the water to hot before stepping into the shower… letting a faucet run while I grab the phone or take out the garbage…)
I have to talk cover: Awesome awesomeness!!! I love it! Very eye catching.
Cameron Stracher writes a novel that I think will appeal to YA readers who don’t dive too deeply into the read and discover the lack of character development or the conflict details. I felt as though this book left something to be desired in the middle but in the end pulls together a good finale.
Just because this book did not fit me, doesn’t mean it will not fit someone else. I have an additional advanced copy of this book for someone who would like to give it a try. Let me know in the comments if you would be interested in reading this book and I will choose one commenter at the end of the week using random.org to mail this to.
I went to the 5:45 am Group Power Class with my friend Wendy. At this point I am not sure which of us is crazier… she who is now on her way to work until 7 pm tonight, or me who needed to come home, get ready for a breakfast date at 9 am and packing to leave town right after a quick stop at the library after breakfast.
I am itchin’ for spring and for activity and I think I am finally starting to see things coming up that are exciting! In three weeks (oh man… it may be less now) I am in for the Polar Plunge is Edina Minnesota for Special Olympics. I have never done this before… but enjoy adventure. Although today is currently -4 for a temp so really thinking more and more about that icy water.
Then – yesterday a group of my friends were planning a girls weekend that I thought at first I would not be able to attend as they had picked a weekend I had other commitments… and then – the email came and the date has changed and I am in!!! IN!!!! AND we are seeing Rick Springfield in concert which is oh so 80’s of me… but that’s the way I roll.
Rick Springfield.... then and now
May 1 is the first Minnesota bike ride of the year and my friends Amy and Wendy are committed to doing this with me and I am super uber pumped to do this ride -and hopefully this year the weather is nice enough for us to do the 75 or 100 mile route instead of the 30 due to poor weather the last two years.
And the end of May – is BEA.
And from there – spring and summer means bike rides and a garden and apparently a run this year that still freaks me out a bit but…. I feel I need to do things now because some day I might not want to. 🙂
This weekend, well today actually I am going to our cabin up North for the first time since November. I am taking time to get away and write. I will be back on Sunday. Posts will still go up as I should have internet when I go out for coffee at a cafe in Silver Bay. A 3 hour drive each way means lots of audio time too… and I am thinking about a stop at Barnes and Noble in Duluth…. just because. 😀
Oh and yes, I have a winner from the Literary Blog Hop. My winner using random.org is: Amy from The House Of Seven Tails. She chose The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien. Congratulations Amy!
16th-century Prague, Wishnia’s outstanding debut convincingly transforms a Jewish sexton and his rabbinic mentor into a plausible pair of sleuths. Just before the start of Passover, the discovery of the bloody corpse of Gerta Janek, a blond girl, maybe seven years old, inside the store of Jacob Federn, a Jewish businessman, triggers the inevitable revival of the blood libel and threat of mass retribution against the entire Jewish community. Benyamin Ben-Akiva, the newly arrived shammes, has three days to prove that someone other than Federn is guilty of Gerta’s brutal murder. He faces opposition from his own people, but manages to win the respect and support of the legendary Rabbi Loew, who helps him gain access to the body so that a rudimentary examination can be done, though many Gentiles are offended by the very notion.
I love reading about different cultures and that is what initially drew me to this book. That, a little historical fiction and I do love a good mystery.
Highly detailed and full of 16th century imagery – this part of the book I really enjoyed as author Kenneth Wishnia truly has a way with words. And speaking of words… on the flip of that this is a book that would be a delight for those who love learning languages as the Hebrew, German, and Yiddish words are used throughout. For me – it started to feel a bit like work to stop and roll the words through my mind, however I can see me going back and reading this book again when I have more time to really spend time in the language of it. (*There is a glossary for the words in the back of the book). The Fifth Servant opens up to many colorful characters and much of the book is seen through Benyamin Ben Akiva eyes and as such is a witness to the hideous murder. This book reminds me strongly of another that I have read but for the life of me I can not seem to put my finger on that tile.
While maybe not so historically correct – I did like the way women were portrayed in the book as strong and capable. That was refreshing for someone who like me enjoys reading about strong women.
There were parts that I did not enjoy – at times it felt like the religious/political aspect of the book became more important than the mystery itself and the plot felt lost for a time until suddenly the ending pulled me back into the story.
Final thoughts… there was more to this book then I originally anticipated but still I found it to be a good read. Due to my own procrastination I started this book later than I should have and feel I could have spent more time in it, working through some of the details. This is one I will probably pick up again soon and spend a bit more time with it.
I have many things bouncing around my head … things I need to do, things I want to do, things I am considering… I work today – have breakfast with friends tomorrow morning and if (IF) all goes as planned I am heading out-of-town after that tomorrow to our cabin for a weekend of writing and just getting out of Dodge…. errr…. Brainerd. 😛
As wired up as I am right now… watch me forget something important like … my notes.
I have no idea why this is in my head right now…. but I am thinking of an episode of friends about a book they were ready. For the record – I used to really love the Friends episodes.
(Yes…. sorry I guess you have to watch it on you tube)
Well.. for me all book discussions in sit coms are pretty funny…
Ok so I am off to start my day and while my plate if FULL FULL FULL… tomorrow…. is not. Tomorrow kicks off to a weekend of….
possibilities. 😀
Have a super day everyone – don’t let anyone take your wind! 😀
(wow…. that was cheesy…. I really do need a break. :shock:)
Olive is a big woman… she is big boned, big faced… and a big presence in the lives that surrounds hers. A retired math teacher in Crosby Maine… Olive bowls people over like a bowling ball heading for a strike. She is abrupt, judgmental, and not the person you stop in announced for a chat or a cup of coffee.
Yet in this series of short stories by Elizabeth Strout, Olive plays a part in every one… sometimes large, and sometimes she is merely acknowledged by another character or by a hand wave…. and as the stories unfold around Olive’s home town…. we get a glimpse of who Olive may really be.
♦ ♦ ♦
Hmmmm…. I still find myself trying to sort out my thoughts about this book. I am not a fan of short stories. I prefer really digging in and getting to know characters and plot lines and the short snippets have never really done it for me. Yet, as part of a reading project with my book club, I hand-picked this title out of a list of book options.
Why?
I believe I chose it because something about the synopsis, and yes even a series of stories around one character intrigued me. It was like a puzzle I wanted to solve and envisioned that was what author Elizabeth Strout was going to do – create a series of story pieces that in the end were a whole. I have always been a fan of unique tales, original writing styles… I prefer the breaking of the molds….
As I read this book I found myself at first confused. The stories seemed choppy… little glimpses – but of what. A bit of Olive here…. a bit of Olive there…. many characters were introduced and in times it was their story that held the chapter, their tale of – well, tragic life mostly…. and yet, somewhere there was still Olive.
It took me more than a few chapters to get the flow of the book and even then…. I am not sure if I truly did or I just became used to the way this book was put together. What I felt we were seeing was not the whole story – and for that I give Elizabeth Strout much credit. I dislike a book that spells it out for me, preferring to have something to figure out while I read. I believe this was Elizabeth’s goal – to give the reader a glimpse – but left much to the imagination. Who was Olive – really? This complicated woman, this woman who for most of book I did not even really like…. but I did want to figure her out.
There are moments when Olive (with help from our author) speaks so beautifully – so deeply that I am left with words that I want to post somewhere as reminders…. one such phrase came out of the short story ‘Starving”:
When Olive is confronted with an anorexic girl, Nina, this conversation takes place:
Olive finished the donut, wiped the sugar from her fingers, sat back and said, “You’re starving.”
The girl didn’t move, only said, “Uh… duh.”
“I’m starving too,” Olive said. “Why do you think I eat everything in sight?”
“You’re not starving,” Nina says with disgust.
“Sure I am. We all are.”
“Wow,” Nina said, Heavy.”
Moments like that in the book caused me to see a bit behind their thin veil that covered the real Olive.
In the end… I can’t say I felt I really knew Olive Kitterling, but I think I had an idea. Elizabeth Strout does write a compelling story and I give her a ton of credit as while at times I found this book difficult to read and follow, I can imagine that writing such a multi layered book, folding one chapter into another had to be pretty complicated in itself and Elizabeth Strout does a fine job doing so in a writing style that gave me pause – in a good, thought-provoking way.
*If you read this book – do make time to read the interview in the back of the book with Elizabeth Strout and Olive Kitteridge. It is hilarious and I think it will give you some additional insight to Olive.
Amazon Rating
Bookies Review:
As I mentioned before – this was a bonus review for my book club and it was to be centered around the food that makes up this book. Let me just say – if you are going to do a potluck around the food in a book – this one would be an excellent choice… the book is literally filled with food… my group came up with: Beef stew, hot bread, olive cheeseballs, funeral meatballs, seafood stuffed mushrooms (the ones Olive gets sick on in the book), homemade butterscotch sauce (where Olive winds up getting all over her towards the end of the book), carrot soup and a lovely red wine)
Our thoughts on the book were that Olive was a hard woman who seemed to keep a wall of protection around herself as some people tend to do when they don’t want people to see them too closely. This led to a good discussion of people like that in our own lives and how we handle them. We all felt that author Elizabeth Strout did a good job of giving us clues to Olive without spelling it out for us… we were left to come up with our own opinion of who this woman was.
Overall we came up with a slightly below average rating for the book. We found this book to be more work than entertaining to read. While we appreciated the good writing, we really never found a true connection to Olive.
For those that wish… I am posting a few of our recipes from last night that were wonderful compliments to the book:
Olive-Cheese Balls
Olive Cheese balls
– 2 cups (@ 8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese – 1 1/4 cups flour – 1/2 cup margarine, melted – 36-48 small pimento-stuffed green olives
Mix cheese and flour, add in margarine. Work dough with hands, if necessary. Mold @ 1 tsp dough around each olive, shape into ball. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until set – 15-20 minutes. Best served warm.
Carrot Soup
Carrot Soup
– 1 large sweet onion, cleaned and chopped – 1/4 cup margarine – @ 1 1/2 lbs carrots, cleaned and chopped – 1 large white (russet) potato, cleaned and sliced – 1 large sweet potato, cleaned and sliced – 32 oz chicken broth – ginger – rosemary – savory – marjoram – pepper – chili powder – garlic – Emeril’s original Essence – 12 oz V-8 juice – 4 oz cream cheese, cubed – 1 handful shredded sharp cheddar cheese
In Dutch oven on cook top, melt margarine, add onion. Cook til tender (5 minutes or so). Add carrots, potatoes, chicken broth, and spices. (Use whatever spices appeal to you.) Heat to boil, cook til vegetables are all tender (20 minutes or so). Remove from heat. Use immersion blender (or let cool some and use regular blender) to puree vegetables to desired consistency. Return to heat, add V-8 juice and cheeses, stirring til well-blended. Could serve now. I had to juggle errands, so I put the soup in my crock pot and left it on low for a couple of hours. This may have caused the flavors to blend more.
The couch comes into view again. Kerry Monroe is drinking a tumbler of brown stuff- the whiskey she was offering earlier, Olive suspects- and while Kerry’s lipstick remains bright, her cheekbones and jawline still impressively proportioned, it’s as though inside her black clothes her joints have become loosened. Her crossed leg swings, a foot bobs, some inner wobbliness is there. “Nice service, Marlene,” Kerry says, leaning forward to pick up a meatball with a toothpick. “Really nice service; you’ve done him proud.” And Olive nods, because she would like Marlene to be comforted by this.
Marlene’s Funeral Meatballs
Funeral Meatballs
2 pounds ground beef
1 c. evaporated milk
2 c. bread crumbs
onion, minced to taste
1 tsp. seasoned salt
sauce:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 Tbsp. catsup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix hamburger, evaporated milk, bread crumbs, onion & seasoned salt. Shape into meatballs. Bake for 15 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine sauce ingredients; bring to a boil. Pour over meatballs. Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes more.
Downstairs she went, into the white basement. Stepping into the little closet of a bathroom, she flicked on the light, and saw in the mirror that across her blue cotton blouse was a long and prominent strip of sticky dark butterscotch sauce. A small feeling of distress took hold. They had seen this and not told her. She had become the old lady her Aunt Ora had been, when years ago she and Henry would take the old lady out for a drive, stopping some nights to get an ice cream, and Olive had watched as Aunt Ora had spilled melted ice cream down her front; she had felt repulsion at the sight of it. In fact, she was glad when Ora died, and Olive didn’t have to continue to witness the pathetic sight.
Butterscotch Sauce
Butterscotch Sauce
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. half & half
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
3 Tbsp. butter
Combine all ingredients together in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Simmer 3-4 minutes. Let cool then serve over ice cream.
I am going to make this quick as I just seen to be running behind today and I soooooooo hate that.
Last night we had a small book club group gathering. This was a bonus review that we agreed to do this month and next. We are reviewing a book around the food within it. This was an optional read for our group and those who felt they would like to and were able to read the additional book as well as participate in the food bringing were invited to do so.
Really…. that’s the background story of shy I was straightening the front room to my home… it’s a small friendly room that I often refer to as the friendship room as it is brightly decorated and is comfy to sit in and chat with a few friends. We usually do book club when it is at my house in the family room downstairs as that is bigger, but I did not need that much space last night and left the downstairs to Chance and Al to chill and watch tv while we met upstairs.
(Wow…. I digress today! LOOK!!! Something shiny!!!!) 😛
Ok…. my POINT is that while cleaning the room I was organizing a basket of books that I have next to a chair in the room. That basket of books has been more decorative than anything and these books have not rotated out of this basket in years. As I looked at what was in the basket I pulled out a book called The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin. It surprised me as I do not recall having heard of Justin Cronin before The Passage came out this past year. Yet, there in the basket was an earlier writing of his, and by the looks of it… a softer read as well.
(Really – this sounded much more interesting when I started typing it)
I know I picked this book up because of title… It really does have a gorgeous cover and now as The Passage is so deeply written and interwoven in this futuristic world of vampire (virals) like creatures… I am super curious what this one is about.
Have you ever done that? read something by an author you believe you have not heard of before – only to find you own something by them already? Or is that just me? Crazy chick in Minnesota. 😛
Last nights book club was sooooooo awesome. I need to get the review up today for Olive Kitteridge but currently have run out of time to do so and was too tired last night so we shall see if I can squeeze in some time to do this later this afternoon. I should have been more organized – but honestly I unwound last night by watching Amish Grace on Netfix which is the true story of the Amish School shootings in 2006, the book I read recently about that was Think No Evil.
Oh and winner from yesterdays Sarah Pekkanen day using random.org is: Kavyen from Reading Between The Pages!
This is an exciting chat for me today as this is the first time I have had the honor of interviewing an author – twice. Last year Sarah Pekkanen and I chatted about her book Opposite Of Me. I am beyond thrilled today to have her back to talk about her book that hit the shelves today: Skipping A Beat.
Sarah is one busy lady so I will not keep her waiting with a bunch of chit-chat… please welcome an incredible author, Sarah Pekkanen.
Sarah Pekkanen
First off…. wow! A second book was released today! I am so excited for you! What does that feel like?
Sarah: It feels amazing. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a young girl, and walking into bookstores and seeing my name on the cover of a book is an indescribable feeling. I just grin from ear to ear and lurk around, wondering if anyone will buy it when I’m there (yes, I’m a bookstore stalker)!
I just finished Skipping a Beat on Saturday evening and I was up until 1:00 am crying and feeling… wonderful if that makes sense. When you sent this book off to the publisher, what did that moment feel like for you? really I want to know… did you bawl like a baby too?
Sarah: Thank you! I’m so glad Skipping a Beat touched you this deeply. It’s what I was hoping for when I wrote it. I go through that same tumble of intense emotions when I write. And when I send off the final version of the book, it’s with a mixed sense of elation and sadness and reflectiveness. It’s bittersweet, really, because the process of writing a book can be so tough and intense, yet you miss it so deeply when it’s over.
Sarah I have now read both your books and found that you have a gift for creating characters that feel so real that I would know them if the were three-dimensional and walking down the street. Could you share with me how these characters come to be that you can write them so well?
Sarah: Wow, another amazing compliment – you are making my day! I tend to be a visual person, so I “see” my characters, if that makes sense. I can picture what they look like and their mannerisms. It’s one part of the process, at least, that comes easily for me.
The main character in Skipping A Beat, Julia and Michael, have extended family issues on both sides…. what was your reasoning for building this into the story line?
Sarah: I really wanted to show how our families shape who we become as adults, and how we can hold on to the good in that, while releasing the bad parts. I think we carry with us the lingering shadows of our families and our awareness of that can really help us make authentic choices that are good for us, rather than reflexive reactions to situations.
Often I hear about authors writing the story without knowing the outcome until it flows out of them later in the writing. Without giving anything away – when you started writing Skipping A Beat, did you know how it would end or did the ending come as you wrote?
Sarah: I did know the ending – some twists during the middle of the book surprised me, but I felt all along that it needed to end this way. I plotted out this book fairly loosely, with plenty of room for inspiration, but the broad outline of the book remained just as I’d originally planned it.
What are your hopes that readers take away from this book?
Sarah: It’s a simple message, but one I think we can never hear enough: Love is the most important thing in this world.
That is a great take away message. What is next for you?
Sarah: This will be a very happily busy week. Skipping a Beat comes out today, and I’m doing a signing tonight at my local Barnes & Noble. Then I’m heading to New York to meet with my publisher and do a book signing in the city! And while I’m at my publisher’s office, we’ll be talking about my third book, which I need to turn in by May 1. It’s the story of three very different women who become roommates in New York.
Oh! I can not wait for the third book it sounds wonderful! So, for purely selfish reasons I have to ask, will you be at BEA this May?
Sarah: Yes – and I so hope to see you there! I’m also hoping to go to the Book Blogger Convention because I’ve gotten to know quite a few book bloggers, like you, and it’s wonderful to meet up in person. You guys are great to hang out with!
You are too sweet! Since I interviewed you before and have already asked for a little known fact, my new question for you is – what fictional character(s) would you like to hang out with and why?
Sarah: It’s been a long few weeks – I’m getting over the flu and am a bit run down – so I’m up for a bit of fun. I think for a good girls’ night out, you can’t beat Bridget Jones!
Thanks so much Sarah for chatting it up with me and best wishes with the new book! I am still gushing about it!
Sarah: Thank you Sheila! It’s always good to talk to you and hope to see you again soon! xoxo
Readers: Please take time to check out Sarah at her website: sarahpekkanen.com
In high school they were Julie and Mike and they were inseparable. In college they were room mates and then they were married. In the early years they scraped by on what little they had working hard and dreaming big. Julie started a party planning business that took off and she was able to start putting a little away. Then Mike, always the dreamer came up with an idea that changed the look of health drinks forever. As production rolled out on the flavored waters, Mike, now a more sophisticated Michael, became more and more caught up in the business and the sweet generous man Julie once knew, became second to the business… a mistress, she could not compete with. Her compensation becomes the material things they now own, the large multi million dollar home, the cars, the jewelry, and travel. Julia wants for nothing. Anniversaries were missed, replaced instead by delivered flowers with notes of promises to be there for the next one… and nights became cold and lonely as Julie, now going by Julia, slept alone as Mike traveled for work for more nights than not.
Then a brush with death changes everything for Michael. Suddenly he sees more clearly what is important, and money becomes meaningless to him. Yet Julia gave up on love a long time ago and has grown accustomed to doing things alone and living the high life. Now it looks like Michael wants to turn his back on it all, give it all up, and put his full attention on Julia.
Julia feels that it is too little….
too late.
Last May I had the opportunity to read The Opposite Of Me by Sarah Pekkanen and LOVED it. I enjoyed Sarah’s style of writing and how in touch she was with family life and all the quirks that go with it. When I seen Skipping A Beat was coming soon, I was thrilled when I was sent an advanced copy to see what Sarah was up to this time around.
Honestly? I loved this book even more than her first! I connected well with the characters of Julia and Michael and found that these two well-developed characters left me feeling like the best friend in the middle. I completely understood Julia’s reluctance to be hurt by letting Michael in after the years of absence in their lives. Her fear was all too real to me as she struggles to hang on to what has become the norm in their lives. Once she had created herself around the world she lived in, it was not a fit for it to suddenly change.
I could relate to Michael too…. he was doing what he could to change the way things had become – but his complete about-face was way too much – too soon.
Another relationship in the book that I found to be amazing was Julia’s best friend Isabelle. I love this aspect of the book as Sarah Pekkanen shows the importance of having that friend that you can share anything with, and with everything else happening Isabelle is that person for Julia.
What I really loved about this book was how real it all felt. I have heard many times how once someone is forced into a different mold for a while we can adjust to new things and many times find the changes welcome, even if we did not think we would. Sarah Pekkanen writes a story that touched me deeply as this couple struggles to find their way… and in the process…
well, you are going to have to read this one to find out more.
I had a hard time putting this book down and highly recommend this book, as one of the best books I have read this year. An original writing that left me wanting more! Totally two thumbs up and a three tissue read. 😀
Book Journey 