When I heard that Jodi Picoult had a new book out, I was overjoyed! Rob was not so thrilled. He knows that her books are the sort of books I am unable to read independently. I have to talk about them and I have to talk them through. Reading one of her books means work for him. He has to listen. I think I did OK this time, though. I only subjected him to the 5 minute synopsis of the book (or where I was in the book at the time of the 5 minute talk) last night before dinner, with a few updates as I kept reading later. I finished the book this morning, during the last few peaceful moments while the girls slept in on this surprise of a snow day. So, Rob's not here to hear my final thoughts about the book and to discuss all of the "what would you dos" that often accompany a Jodi Picoult novel. Too bad for him. It would've been a good conversation.
Lone Wolf, like Picoult's other books, touches on the hard-hitting subject of life support. Luke, Edward and Cara's father, is in a coma after a car accident. Edward wants to end life support; Cara does not. Here begins the story and the drama and, usually in my house, the discussions over the controversial issues. But, because it is Jodi Picoult who is crafting this story, there's so much more to it that than. Let's throw in two additional characters...Georgie (Luke's ex-wife) and Joe (Georgie's new husband, who happens to be a lawyer) and some interesting plot twists and turns (I counted 3 instances while reading when I said, "No!" outloud while reading this book because something happened that I did not see coming AT ALL) and you have the making of an extraordinary story, which Lone Wolf is in my opinion.
In addition to crafting an amazing story, Picoult uses a literary technique in Lone Wolf that I find to be most enjoyable when reading a book, and it's a technique she uses often (which probably explains why I love to read her books). Each chapter is dedicated to a different character and the story progresses through their words and thoughts. While it doesn't repeat in a certain order, we hear from Luke, Cara, Edward, Georgie, and Joe in separate and repeated chapters (they also are each given their own font, which is super cool as the font seems to give more information about their character). At the end of the book, a few other characters appear to add their thoughts and ideas to the story. Since Luke, the dad, is in a coma, his chapters focus on telling the readers everything they ever wanted to know about wolves and wolf packs. Now, if you are not a fan of wolves, don't dispair. It's actually quite interesting to read as you discover quite quickly that the life of the wolf pack that you are learning about directly parallels the human lives in the story. I was fascinated. Honestly.
Had Rob been home to talk about this with me, we would've talked not so much about comas and life support (although I did remind him that we had to get a will made before our trip to Vegas this summer) because there are certain things that he knows about me (probably learned after our discussion's surrounding Picoult's other book Mercy). He knows that it is my wish to never be placed on life support and that I want all of my viable organs donated (although I think I do need to follow up on this one, as the books hints that just checking the box on your driver's license is not enough, you also have to register). Furthermore, he knows that I am not to be buried (a claustrophobic's nightmmare), but am to be cremated. So, we wouldn't have talked about any of that stuff. That's old news.
Instead, I think I would've wanted to talk with him about the parallel story of the wolves and the humans. How each person in a family, or a wolf in a pack, has a distinct role and function and without that one person, a family, or pack, can't function and cries out for the missing one. It makes me wonder what my role is, and if I was in the wolf pack, who I would be. I have to be honest and admit that I lost track of all of the different wolf roles and jobs and instead focused on how the wolves were foreshadowing the events with Edward, Cara, and Luke. But, I do know that in my house, I am the order restorer-- I am the one that shuffles through the papers, throws things away, puts things away, and makes things run smoothly. I am not sure that there's a wolf equivalent for what I do, but I do know that in my house, when I am not here to do my job, the piles build up, nothing ever gets thrown away or put away, and order becomes chaos. Lunches aren't made, homework doesn't get done, and my family runs the risk of going naked to school and work. I guess this is important work, but in the grand scheme of things, it seems a little mundane. Especially when you compare it to Rob's function--the leader of the Whitt wolf pack, who makes things safe for all of us, who makes sure we have what we need when we need it, who provides for us, and who watches over us all. I guess I did birth two little wolves, that accounts for something, right?
In addition to roles performed in a family, Picoult also tosses in, for us to ponder further, the question of what makes a family a family. I love Cara's thought: "I wonder if what makes a family a family isn't doing everything right all the time but, instead, giving a second chance to the people you love who do things wrong." (p.312) I can only speak for my family, but there's not a whole lot of perfection coming from any one of us (even Abigail who likes to think she's perfect, but oh-so is not!). How nice to think, though, that even we do something wrong, family is there to forgive and to love you anyway. I think Cara is on to something here.
Finally, the book forces us to think about how the roles of the family and the definition of family changes as a member leaves, in this case by death. Who takes over the missing role? How does the family react to this? On page 347, Luke reminds us that, "You have to reach the point of utter chaos before a new leader can emerge." Isn't this what death is? Utter chaos for a family? A time to regroup, to restructure roles, and to appoint a new leader? All while trying to say good-bye. Sadly, I think my family has perfected this chaos. I know when it will be my time to be the alpha female and I am not looking forward to it at all.
Which leads me to my final thought, and my final quote. Another issue this book touches on, in light of the life support issue, is the age of majority. Cara is not yet a legal adult; Edward is. So, who gets to decide about Luke's life and when it should be over? What does it means to be an adult? What responsibilities come with the job of being an adult? As this issue is fought and as each person truly fights for what they think is right and best, and as Cara discovers that being an adult isn't all that it's cracked up to be, Cara discovers that, "being a grown-up doesn't mean you're fearless. It just means you fear different things." (p. 350) Amen. As a child, I knew I was fearful. My mother knew I was fearful. I think everyone who knew me knew that I was fearful. And, I think they all hoped that I would one day become a confident, fearless adult. Wrong. I went to college and feared not getting a job. Once I had one, I feared losing it (and still do). I got married and worried that he'd leave me. I had kids and am fearful for them every waking moment. If I could release some of these fears, I think I might live longer. But, perhaps, in the Whitt wolf pack, my job is to fear. It keeps me on high alert and it helps me to keep my family safe.
Family is everything. In a wolf pack and in the human world. Read Lone Wolf and allow yourself to be reminded.
Happy reading!
:) Dodie
Monday, March 5, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
#13: Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood
I am very much the sort of person who reads a book before watching the movie version of the book, should one exist. So far, in all my years of being a reader and a movie watcher, there have only been two exceptions to this rule. First, I saw Confessions of a Shopaholic before I read the book and I am still glad that I did because I adored the actors in the movie and I could picture their faces as I subsequently read all of the books in the series. The second exception is Charlie St. Cloud. Again, this was a very good choice. The movie made the plot clear, which can be a little confusing at times in the book, but the book filled in all of the details that the movie glossed over. And, the movie stars Zac Efron as Charlie, so who wouldn't want to watch that movie?
Charlie St. Cloud (originally published as The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud) is a story of life, death, and love. Oh...and, the occasional ghost. While I am not sure if I really believe in ghosts, they certainly made for an interesting story. They also made me wonder about death in a new way. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am rather terrified of dying. It scares me like nothing else (even more than bridges). But Ben Sherwood presented spirits in a different light. He made them in control of when they left the physical world for good. They could see their loved ones, they could still be with them if they hadn't crossed over. It was peaceful and not scary at all. I guess I won't know if that's the way life really ends until it does and I'm not too eager for that to happen, but it's calming for me to think about life ending this way. It makes me not so scared anymore.
Charlie St. Cloud is given a second chance at life early on in this book and spends most of his life feeling guilty for living. While I can only imagine that I would feel exactly the same way, you can't help but ask yourself (as someone asked of Charlie) what would you do with your life if you were given a second chance to live it? It is an interesting idea to ponder, isn't it? Would you quit working and truly live, provided that you could afford to? Would you surround yourself with the people you love, or would you move on to live life the way you want to alone? Would you realize that love was the most important thing? Or is money and fame more important? Honestly, I am not sure what I would do. I worry too much about hurting other people and how my actions impact the life of others. It's a curse my mother placed on me as a child and it's a cross that I bear even today. I'd like to be selfish sometimes, but I have a hard time talking myself into selfish behaviors. Charlie, however, finally realized that he needed to focus on making himself happy. Until he did that, he wasn't really living and he might as well have died all those years ago.
"May he live in peace." This line comes from the end of the book and is such a fantastic reminder, in my opinion, of something that we often forget. We typically wish this of people who have died: "May he/she rest in peace." But, don't we want to live in peace, too? Don't we want to live in a way that doesn't cause us to wrestle with beliefs and ideals? I want to live in peace with the choices that I make. I don't want to second guess my life later on. But, as I quickly approach 40, I find that I may not have always lived in peace, I might not currently be living in peace, and that saddens my heart a little.
My recommendation for anyone who has not yet read Charlie St. Cloud is to first watch the movie and then read the book. The movie will not ruin the book; it will only enhance it. The love story between Charlie and Tess will stay with you, as it has with me, and it's a good story to carry around in your head and in your heart as a constant reminder of what love should be. And Sam...we can't forget Sam. To have a sibiling's love like the love of Sam...well, we should all only be so lucky.
Charlie St. Cloud is a story that lingers. I am glad that I took the time to read the book and I am going to carry the lessons learned from it with me always.
May you all live in peace,
:) Dodie
Charlie St. Cloud (originally published as The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud) is a story of life, death, and love. Oh...and, the occasional ghost. While I am not sure if I really believe in ghosts, they certainly made for an interesting story. They also made me wonder about death in a new way. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am rather terrified of dying. It scares me like nothing else (even more than bridges). But Ben Sherwood presented spirits in a different light. He made them in control of when they left the physical world for good. They could see their loved ones, they could still be with them if they hadn't crossed over. It was peaceful and not scary at all. I guess I won't know if that's the way life really ends until it does and I'm not too eager for that to happen, but it's calming for me to think about life ending this way. It makes me not so scared anymore.
Charlie St. Cloud is given a second chance at life early on in this book and spends most of his life feeling guilty for living. While I can only imagine that I would feel exactly the same way, you can't help but ask yourself (as someone asked of Charlie) what would you do with your life if you were given a second chance to live it? It is an interesting idea to ponder, isn't it? Would you quit working and truly live, provided that you could afford to? Would you surround yourself with the people you love, or would you move on to live life the way you want to alone? Would you realize that love was the most important thing? Or is money and fame more important? Honestly, I am not sure what I would do. I worry too much about hurting other people and how my actions impact the life of others. It's a curse my mother placed on me as a child and it's a cross that I bear even today. I'd like to be selfish sometimes, but I have a hard time talking myself into selfish behaviors. Charlie, however, finally realized that he needed to focus on making himself happy. Until he did that, he wasn't really living and he might as well have died all those years ago.
"May he live in peace." This line comes from the end of the book and is such a fantastic reminder, in my opinion, of something that we often forget. We typically wish this of people who have died: "May he/she rest in peace." But, don't we want to live in peace, too? Don't we want to live in a way that doesn't cause us to wrestle with beliefs and ideals? I want to live in peace with the choices that I make. I don't want to second guess my life later on. But, as I quickly approach 40, I find that I may not have always lived in peace, I might not currently be living in peace, and that saddens my heart a little.
My recommendation for anyone who has not yet read Charlie St. Cloud is to first watch the movie and then read the book. The movie will not ruin the book; it will only enhance it. The love story between Charlie and Tess will stay with you, as it has with me, and it's a good story to carry around in your head and in your heart as a constant reminder of what love should be. And Sam...we can't forget Sam. To have a sibiling's love like the love of Sam...well, we should all only be so lucky.
Charlie St. Cloud is a story that lingers. I am glad that I took the time to read the book and I am going to carry the lessons learned from it with me always.
May you all live in peace,
:) Dodie
Saturday, February 25, 2012
#12: Blind Your Ponies by Stanley Gordon West
Every year at Christmas time for the past several years, a friend of mine has included in her yearly Christmas card newsletter a list of books she's read over the past year. This year's list had several books on it that I had already read, but Blind Your Ponies caught my eye. Her review was great, saying that it was an amazing story aboout basketball, not ponies, so I looked into it. It was a super deal on my Nook ($1.99 and LendMe), so I downloaded it. It's been on my Nook since before Christmas and it has taken me quite a while to finish it. But, the timing of this read could not have been better.
Blind Your Ponies is about a small town high school basketball team that hasn't won a game in 96 games. It is the classic underdog story and it touched every part of my heart. From the struggle that the coach has reaching these boys (there are only 6 team members, too, which adds to the underdog story), to the struggle each boy has in wanting to play because they love the game, yet not wanting to play for a losing team and being known throughout their school as the losers, to the people who love and support these boys every step of the way, this story just warms your heart. If you need a feel-good story and you happen to like basketball, this story is for you.
I found myself, as I read the last 100 pages tonight, tearing up at times when the boys were giving themselves pep talks and digging deep to find the strength to play on. I never played sports in high school. I just simply lack that competitive spirit while also being the sort of person who would be devastated if it was one of my mistakes that caused a team to lose. As a result, I watched games from the sidelines and never experienced first hand that team spirit that pushes you on or that drive to be the best--the winning team. But, this past basketball season, I saw it and lived it with Emily and The Rams. Her team, a fairly average girls basketball team I'd say, won some and lost some. But, they came out one Sunday and beat a team who at that point had never lost a game. Emily's team was fired up and they worked hard as a team to beat a team who no one thought could be beaten. Emily's team went on to play that team two more times and lost both games. But, they knew that they has beaten them once and that was all that mattered. Her coach was proud and told them so. He never yelled at the girls--he found other ways to reach them. Emily grew so much as a player this year and I can only hope that Coach S. will be around to coach her again next year. It was this real-life connection that I kept coming back to as I read Blind Your Ponies (you are going to have to read the book to uncover the significance of the title...it's too good to spoil). As my heart ached for these boys, who are just good boys with talent and heart, my heart ached for Emily and her team, who wanted so badly to win each and every one of their games. And, as is true of both teams, if heart won games, they both would've been champions.
There are two downsides to this book that I feel compelled to tell you about before you pick it up. One--it is 557 pages of almost pure basketball. Basketball happens to be my favorite sport, so I was OK with that. But, even I found myself skimming the play-by-plays of each and every game, and just reading the final score. Two--the book ends without ever telling us how a few events turn out or even if they are ever resolved. That was a bit disappointing. But, it doesn't cloud the fact that this story was a great one and neither point should deter you from reading this book. They are just points to consider.
I also think that Blind Your Ponies would make an incredible movie, much in the same spirit as Rudy, Miracle, and Hoosiers are great movies. A movie version would also make the play-by-plays a bit more tolerable. And, maybe in movie form we might learn what happens to those characters who are sort of dropped at the end of the book.
So, the bottom line is this: if you are in the mood to read a book that is just going to make you feel good about life and people, read Blind Your Ponies. We all need something to uplift us every now and then and in the month of February, reading this book accomplished this goal for me. I have been reminded that good things can and do happen to good people, that underdogs sometimes come out on top, that love can happen in the unlikeliest of places, and that underneath it all, people are generally good spirited and kind hearted and will give all they can, should someone else need a little kindness.
It also reminded me that I really do want to live in a small town someday. We'll see if that ever happens.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
Blind Your Ponies is about a small town high school basketball team that hasn't won a game in 96 games. It is the classic underdog story and it touched every part of my heart. From the struggle that the coach has reaching these boys (there are only 6 team members, too, which adds to the underdog story), to the struggle each boy has in wanting to play because they love the game, yet not wanting to play for a losing team and being known throughout their school as the losers, to the people who love and support these boys every step of the way, this story just warms your heart. If you need a feel-good story and you happen to like basketball, this story is for you.
I found myself, as I read the last 100 pages tonight, tearing up at times when the boys were giving themselves pep talks and digging deep to find the strength to play on. I never played sports in high school. I just simply lack that competitive spirit while also being the sort of person who would be devastated if it was one of my mistakes that caused a team to lose. As a result, I watched games from the sidelines and never experienced first hand that team spirit that pushes you on or that drive to be the best--the winning team. But, this past basketball season, I saw it and lived it with Emily and The Rams. Her team, a fairly average girls basketball team I'd say, won some and lost some. But, they came out one Sunday and beat a team who at that point had never lost a game. Emily's team was fired up and they worked hard as a team to beat a team who no one thought could be beaten. Emily's team went on to play that team two more times and lost both games. But, they knew that they has beaten them once and that was all that mattered. Her coach was proud and told them so. He never yelled at the girls--he found other ways to reach them. Emily grew so much as a player this year and I can only hope that Coach S. will be around to coach her again next year. It was this real-life connection that I kept coming back to as I read Blind Your Ponies (you are going to have to read the book to uncover the significance of the title...it's too good to spoil). As my heart ached for these boys, who are just good boys with talent and heart, my heart ached for Emily and her team, who wanted so badly to win each and every one of their games. And, as is true of both teams, if heart won games, they both would've been champions.
There are two downsides to this book that I feel compelled to tell you about before you pick it up. One--it is 557 pages of almost pure basketball. Basketball happens to be my favorite sport, so I was OK with that. But, even I found myself skimming the play-by-plays of each and every game, and just reading the final score. Two--the book ends without ever telling us how a few events turn out or even if they are ever resolved. That was a bit disappointing. But, it doesn't cloud the fact that this story was a great one and neither point should deter you from reading this book. They are just points to consider.
I also think that Blind Your Ponies would make an incredible movie, much in the same spirit as Rudy, Miracle, and Hoosiers are great movies. A movie version would also make the play-by-plays a bit more tolerable. And, maybe in movie form we might learn what happens to those characters who are sort of dropped at the end of the book.
So, the bottom line is this: if you are in the mood to read a book that is just going to make you feel good about life and people, read Blind Your Ponies. We all need something to uplift us every now and then and in the month of February, reading this book accomplished this goal for me. I have been reminded that good things can and do happen to good people, that underdogs sometimes come out on top, that love can happen in the unlikeliest of places, and that underneath it all, people are generally good spirited and kind hearted and will give all they can, should someone else need a little kindness.
It also reminded me that I really do want to live in a small town someday. We'll see if that ever happens.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
#11 One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
I was told to read One for the Money before seeing the movie. I was also told that One for the Money is the first book in a long line of books about Stephanie Plum.
Here are my thoughts on both ideas...
1. I won't be seeing the movie now that I read the book.
2. I won't be reading any more Stephanie Plum books so I really am not interested in knowing how many more books there are.
The moral of this story is that books about female bounty hunters (or really any bounty hunters) are NOT for me. I finished it, as I finish all books regardless of how terrible or boring they might be, and I laughed a few times a long the way, so it wasn't really terrible or boring. It's just not for me.
On to #12 Blind Your Ponies, which is not, I have learned, a book about ponies, but a book about a high-school basketball coach. So far, so good, but I still have about 500 pages left.
Happy Reading!
:) Dodie
Here are my thoughts on both ideas...
1. I won't be seeing the movie now that I read the book.
2. I won't be reading any more Stephanie Plum books so I really am not interested in knowing how many more books there are.
The moral of this story is that books about female bounty hunters (or really any bounty hunters) are NOT for me. I finished it, as I finish all books regardless of how terrible or boring they might be, and I laughed a few times a long the way, so it wasn't really terrible or boring. It's just not for me.
On to #12 Blind Your Ponies, which is not, I have learned, a book about ponies, but a book about a high-school basketball coach. So far, so good, but I still have about 500 pages left.
Happy Reading!
:) Dodie
Monday, February 6, 2012
#10 Home Front by Kristin Hannah
After finishing this book this afternoon, I felt a bit like Forrest Gump. You remember the part in the movie...he starts running and can't stop, yet he can't quite remember why he was running in the first place, but then all of a sudden he stops and never feels the need to run anymore. I won't go so far as to say that I won't ever read again, but I suddenly feel as though I have read what I needed to read and don't feel particularly compelled to read anything new. Home Front must've opened, and closed, something within me and I am still trying to figure out what it is, or was.
Home Front centers its plot around the war in Iraq. It's not so much a book about the war itself, but a book about the people who are directly involved: the soldiers who leave home to fight and the people these soldiers leave behind. In an interesting twist, the main character is a female fighter pilot, a lady who has spent her life trying to find her place, trying to find a "family." Typically in times of war we think of the men who leave to fight and the women and children they leave behind, but Home Front turns that all around. The men are the ones left behind, and are the ones who have never had to handle the house and the kids, and their lives quickly crumble under the pressure.
There are so many aspects of this book that I loved. First, the idea that it is the women who leave and the men have to pick up the pieces. I love this twist on the typical. I think it's something most moms think about often: could our husbands handle life if we weren't here to do it all? Kristin Hannah paints a picture that, I think, fairly accurately shows what would happen to our families both immediately (everything falls apart) and over time (the men learn what to do and how to do it).
Second, I love the literary techniques Hannah uses to tell the story. She could just tell it. She could use dialogue and we could all follow along, but instead, she tells much of the story through letters and journals. In this way, we can glimpse the personal in a way that dialogue can't convey. Letters and journals are intensely personal. Read them with tissues...you'll need them.
Third, I thought the parallel, yet intersecting, stories of Jolene and Keith were brilliantly created and told. That's all I am going to say because I don't want to ruin anything for anyone.
On a more personal note, and in reference to my Forest Gump analogy, I think this book touched me in some extremely personal ways. (Note: if you aren't into reading the personal details about my life, stop reading here and just go buy Home Front and start reading that instead). The first time the tears started to flow was when I realized that Jolene was going to have to say goodbye to her girls, possibly forever. How do you do that? How does a person tell a 4 year old and a 12 year old goodbye? My worst fear was realized at that moment. I am fearful of many things, but as I was reading I suddenly stumbled upon my worst fear of all--leaving my girls behind. I don't want to say goodbye to them ever. But especially not now. It's why I cry for days before and after a mammogram, why I worry about flying, and driving over bridges...all of my seemingly irrational fears come back to this one: I need to be here for my girls. Which led me to ask myself--well...what if you can't be? How are you going to handle it? Will you be like Jo and just do it? Will you write the goodbye letters and make a notebook for Rob to follow so that he knows everything about everything, or will you crawl up into a ball and cry it out? Honestly, I hope I never have to find out, but I will say this. I don't think that I am strong enough to handle leaving my girls. My mother always said that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. I have lost my dad, my cousin who was like a brother, and my favorite grandmother. I can apparently handle a lot, but please, Lord, do not let me every have to say goodbye to my girls before I have lived to see them grown and self-sufficient. I would crumble, I just know it.
The next issue Home Front made me confront head on was how I would handle Rob telling me that he didn't love me anymore. Well...sadly, I came to the conclusion that I could handle this. I guess I'd have to. If someone doesn't love you, they don't love you and if my girls were involved I'd have to move on because of them. I wouldn't like it, but I'd do it. Eventually. In the case of Jolene, though, things get more complicated and while I'd like to comment further, I will spoil the book if I do, so I'll stop.
It wasn't until I had almost finished the book that I realized that Home Front, as much as it is about war, is about family. It's about the family that gets left behind. In this case, it's the family that gets left behind because of war, but the ideas presented could apply to any situation where families are separated. It was then that I realized that all of those irrational fears that I have come back to one thing, to that one greatest fear of all: leaving my girls. I don't want my girls spending their lives trying to piece together the puzzle of me and who I was and what I was like. I don't want my girls to feel the hurt and the frustration of losing a parent. It would be my greatest failure as a mother. It would, perhaps, be something out of my control, but in that moment, I would've failed them. I don't want someone to tell them stories of who I was and what I was like. I don't want them to read journals (or blogs) to try to piece together what I thought about things. It's too hard. I know. I have spent my entire life doing it as I tried to learn about my dad. I don't want that for them.
So, today I realized some things about me, for better or for worse. I guess that's why I don't feel the need to start a new book in a few minutes when I post this blog and head to bed. Books, for me, are more than entertainment. I spent four years of college reading books and stories and poems that taught me to about life, about history, and about human emotions. Books are pathways to bigger and greater ideas. Home Front made me examine my life in a new way today. It reminded me of things that I value and hold dear and it made me confront a fear that I really never realized I had (or maybe that all of my little fears just led to one big one). It also made me see for the first time that I really do live every day not as someone's daughter or sister or wife or teacher, but as two someone's mothers. Those two girls make me who I am. Every choice, every action, every decision I make, I do so with those girls in mind. I want them to know me, to be proud of me, and to live their lives knowing how much their mother loved them. I don't want them to ever question or doubt. If they do, I haven't done my job as their mother. (And, the tears are flowing again...)
Home Front....could this be the #1 for 2012?
Happy Reading!
:) Dodie
Home Front centers its plot around the war in Iraq. It's not so much a book about the war itself, but a book about the people who are directly involved: the soldiers who leave home to fight and the people these soldiers leave behind. In an interesting twist, the main character is a female fighter pilot, a lady who has spent her life trying to find her place, trying to find a "family." Typically in times of war we think of the men who leave to fight and the women and children they leave behind, but Home Front turns that all around. The men are the ones left behind, and are the ones who have never had to handle the house and the kids, and their lives quickly crumble under the pressure.
There are so many aspects of this book that I loved. First, the idea that it is the women who leave and the men have to pick up the pieces. I love this twist on the typical. I think it's something most moms think about often: could our husbands handle life if we weren't here to do it all? Kristin Hannah paints a picture that, I think, fairly accurately shows what would happen to our families both immediately (everything falls apart) and over time (the men learn what to do and how to do it).
Second, I love the literary techniques Hannah uses to tell the story. She could just tell it. She could use dialogue and we could all follow along, but instead, she tells much of the story through letters and journals. In this way, we can glimpse the personal in a way that dialogue can't convey. Letters and journals are intensely personal. Read them with tissues...you'll need them.
Third, I thought the parallel, yet intersecting, stories of Jolene and Keith were brilliantly created and told. That's all I am going to say because I don't want to ruin anything for anyone.
On a more personal note, and in reference to my Forest Gump analogy, I think this book touched me in some extremely personal ways. (Note: if you aren't into reading the personal details about my life, stop reading here and just go buy Home Front and start reading that instead). The first time the tears started to flow was when I realized that Jolene was going to have to say goodbye to her girls, possibly forever. How do you do that? How does a person tell a 4 year old and a 12 year old goodbye? My worst fear was realized at that moment. I am fearful of many things, but as I was reading I suddenly stumbled upon my worst fear of all--leaving my girls behind. I don't want to say goodbye to them ever. But especially not now. It's why I cry for days before and after a mammogram, why I worry about flying, and driving over bridges...all of my seemingly irrational fears come back to this one: I need to be here for my girls. Which led me to ask myself--well...what if you can't be? How are you going to handle it? Will you be like Jo and just do it? Will you write the goodbye letters and make a notebook for Rob to follow so that he knows everything about everything, or will you crawl up into a ball and cry it out? Honestly, I hope I never have to find out, but I will say this. I don't think that I am strong enough to handle leaving my girls. My mother always said that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. I have lost my dad, my cousin who was like a brother, and my favorite grandmother. I can apparently handle a lot, but please, Lord, do not let me every have to say goodbye to my girls before I have lived to see them grown and self-sufficient. I would crumble, I just know it.
The next issue Home Front made me confront head on was how I would handle Rob telling me that he didn't love me anymore. Well...sadly, I came to the conclusion that I could handle this. I guess I'd have to. If someone doesn't love you, they don't love you and if my girls were involved I'd have to move on because of them. I wouldn't like it, but I'd do it. Eventually. In the case of Jolene, though, things get more complicated and while I'd like to comment further, I will spoil the book if I do, so I'll stop.
It wasn't until I had almost finished the book that I realized that Home Front, as much as it is about war, is about family. It's about the family that gets left behind. In this case, it's the family that gets left behind because of war, but the ideas presented could apply to any situation where families are separated. It was then that I realized that all of those irrational fears that I have come back to one thing, to that one greatest fear of all: leaving my girls. I don't want my girls spending their lives trying to piece together the puzzle of me and who I was and what I was like. I don't want my girls to feel the hurt and the frustration of losing a parent. It would be my greatest failure as a mother. It would, perhaps, be something out of my control, but in that moment, I would've failed them. I don't want someone to tell them stories of who I was and what I was like. I don't want them to read journals (or blogs) to try to piece together what I thought about things. It's too hard. I know. I have spent my entire life doing it as I tried to learn about my dad. I don't want that for them.
So, today I realized some things about me, for better or for worse. I guess that's why I don't feel the need to start a new book in a few minutes when I post this blog and head to bed. Books, for me, are more than entertainment. I spent four years of college reading books and stories and poems that taught me to about life, about history, and about human emotions. Books are pathways to bigger and greater ideas. Home Front made me examine my life in a new way today. It reminded me of things that I value and hold dear and it made me confront a fear that I really never realized I had (or maybe that all of my little fears just led to one big one). It also made me see for the first time that I really do live every day not as someone's daughter or sister or wife or teacher, but as two someone's mothers. Those two girls make me who I am. Every choice, every action, every decision I make, I do so with those girls in mind. I want them to know me, to be proud of me, and to live their lives knowing how much their mother loved them. I don't want them to ever question or doubt. If they do, I haven't done my job as their mother. (And, the tears are flowing again...)
Home Front....could this be the #1 for 2012?
Happy Reading!
:) Dodie
Saturday, February 4, 2012
#9 Sweet Trouble by Susan Mallery
Mallery saved the best for last. While Sweet Trouble was just as steamy in parts as the first two books in the series, it also had the best plot, the best character development, and was the most realistic story of them all. I loved it!
Sweet Trouble focuses on the youngest Keyes sister, Jesse. Always the "screw-up" she's never felt worthy of anything: love, a good life, children. Enter Matt, a pet project for Jesse...it is her desire to turn this nerdy computer geek into a ladies man. Her project backfires and she ends up falling for him. We met both Jesse and Matt in the first book of this series, but this part of their story is left out until the third book. Watching the romance unfold is endearing, but no respectable romance novel is complete without some shocking twists and turns. I will let you read this book to discover them on your own, but let me say that this book left me crying, over both the good and bad events of the story. It truly was touching.
It took me a little over a week to read these three books. Together, they are right around 615 pages in length. Had I been by the pool, or at the beach, I am sure that I could've read each in a single day. They are the perfect beach bag/pool bag accessory. You never know, this sweet little trilogy just might end up making my top 10 list this year. They are perfect light reads and worth reading for that purpose.
Happy Reading!
:) Dodie
Sweet Trouble focuses on the youngest Keyes sister, Jesse. Always the "screw-up" she's never felt worthy of anything: love, a good life, children. Enter Matt, a pet project for Jesse...it is her desire to turn this nerdy computer geek into a ladies man. Her project backfires and she ends up falling for him. We met both Jesse and Matt in the first book of this series, but this part of their story is left out until the third book. Watching the romance unfold is endearing, but no respectable romance novel is complete without some shocking twists and turns. I will let you read this book to discover them on your own, but let me say that this book left me crying, over both the good and bad events of the story. It truly was touching.
It took me a little over a week to read these three books. Together, they are right around 615 pages in length. Had I been by the pool, or at the beach, I am sure that I could've read each in a single day. They are the perfect beach bag/pool bag accessory. You never know, this sweet little trilogy just might end up making my top 10 list this year. They are perfect light reads and worth reading for that purpose.
Happy Reading!
:) Dodie
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
#8 Sweet Spot by Susan Mallery
I am truly going to keep this blog short, sweet, and to-the-point.
Sweet Spot was an engaging story with real, believable characters that built on the plot of the first book in the series. I would seriously like to be friends with Nicole and Hawk and Raoul after reading their story. And, I can't wait to see what happens in the last book with the last sister, Jesse.
Bear in mind what I said about the first in the series and double it with this one. I several times found myself reading a scene and making sure that no one was reading over my shoulder. There was some serious steam and heat in this book! Phew!
Put in the beach bag with the first one and enjoy!
Happy Reading!
:) Dodie
Sweet Spot was an engaging story with real, believable characters that built on the plot of the first book in the series. I would seriously like to be friends with Nicole and Hawk and Raoul after reading their story. And, I can't wait to see what happens in the last book with the last sister, Jesse.
Bear in mind what I said about the first in the series and double it with this one. I several times found myself reading a scene and making sure that no one was reading over my shoulder. There was some serious steam and heat in this book! Phew!
Put in the beach bag with the first one and enjoy!
Happy Reading!
:) Dodie
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