The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller
I recently read While I Was Gone by the same author. This one was interesting -- told from the point of view of four different people -- I like that kind of stuff because it makes me think about how true to life that is -- how people can experience the exact same day/event/other person/place in very different ways. Probably a good reminder.
Billy was getting ready to leave her boyfriend, Gus, (unbeknown to anyone else) when September 11 came -- he was on one of the planes. She has written a play about a terrorist attack on a train (The Lake Shore Limited) as it arrives in Chicago's Union Station.
Leslie is Gus' older sister who very much feels his absence and thinks it must be so hard for Billy as well. Pierce, her husband, feels like she should just move on.
Rafe, the main character in Billy's play, has a wife who is very ill with ALS and who is largely confined to the house.
Sam is a friend of Leslie and Pierce who goes to dinner with them after the play. He meets Billy and find himself drawn to her.
One of the strongest elements of the story, for me, was that notion of how very mixed one's feelings can be at the death of someone we know intimately. Rang very true for me.
I recently read While I Was Gone by the same author. This one was interesting -- told from the point of view of four different people -- I like that kind of stuff because it makes me think about how true to life that is -- how people can experience the exact same day/event/other person/place in very different ways. Probably a good reminder.
Billy was getting ready to leave her boyfriend, Gus, (unbeknown to anyone else) when September 11 came -- he was on one of the planes. She has written a play about a terrorist attack on a train (The Lake Shore Limited) as it arrives in Chicago's Union Station.
Leslie is Gus' older sister who very much feels his absence and thinks it must be so hard for Billy as well. Pierce, her husband, feels like she should just move on.
Rafe, the main character in Billy's play, has a wife who is very ill with ALS and who is largely confined to the house.
Sam is a friend of Leslie and Pierce who goes to dinner with them after the play. He meets Billy and find himself drawn to her.
One of the strongest elements of the story, for me, was that notion of how very mixed one's feelings can be at the death of someone we know intimately. Rang very true for me.
What great books did you hear about / discover this past week? Share your FRIDAY FINDS!
My finds:
Gone by Michael Grant
My People by Langston Hughes
New and Selected Poems: Volume Two by Mary Oliver
1. Grab the book nearest you right now.
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like).
5. Post a link with your post to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
I've got a great one:
p.56, Learning at Home: A Mother's Guide to Homeschooling by Marty LaynePeople expressed their concern to me that by my providing such a protected atmosphere my children would not learn how to assert themselves as they grow older. The old "if you don't start feeding them with a spoon now, how will they ever learn how to use silverware" routine that many adults use to justify things such as introducing solids, making children learn something against their will, sleeping away from parents, stop nursing, etc.
Happy Memorial Day weekend to all who celebrate it :-)
And...here we go!
1. __soft cheese and fresh baked bread___________ -- the best food to take on a picnic.
2. Summer __brings a lot of changes in our house_______.
3. ___My old boss hated the sound of someone walking in_______ flip flops.
4. To love someone is __tricky business___________.
5. ___I am not craving___________ a long hike.
6. When I crave food, it's usually __something cold or something cheesy______.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _working on a present for my friend Elizabeth and listening to more of The Woman in White____, tomorrow my plans include __a silent auction & picnic for Alpine Valley ___ and Sunday, I want to _write a letter to my brother____!
I like this Friday 56. I like the attitude that comes across - caring, opinionated, stern and with substance.
ReplyDeleteWhat a comprehensive post! Your Friday Find seems interesting and unique (mine is here:http://bit.ly/d8AhkO). And I agree that cheese and break make a pretty great picnic!
ReplyDeleteI love Mary Oliver! Great find, that!
ReplyDeleteFriday Find: A Summer Secret by Kathleen Fuller
Live Out Loud -- It really is a lovely book (which is why I've had several long blathering posts about it, I suppose. :))
ReplyDeleteKimberly -- Thanks! I decided to just take three books off my "stuff to put on hold at the library" list and looked for some diverse offerings. :)
Gautami Tripathy -- Thanks -- a dear friend really likes Mary Oliver but I've not taken the time to really explore her work before, so I'm looking forward to digging in soon!
Lisa, I'm off to look at yours. :)