In Chicago, as World War II rages in Europe, the Heaney sisters sit at their kitchen table each evening to write letters - Louise to her finace, Michael, who has just let to fight overseas; Kitty to Julian, also a soldier, and the man she wishes fervently would propose; and the third Heaney sister, Tish, to an ever changing group of men she meets at USO dances. In the letters the sisters send and receive are intimate glimpses of life both on the battlefront and at home. For Kitty, a confident, headstrong young woman, the departure of her boyfriend and the lessons she learns about love, resilience, and war will bring a surprise and uncover a seret, and will lead her to a radical action on beahlf of those she loves that will change the Heaney family forever. The lifelong consequences of the choices the sisters make are at the heart of this superb novel about the power of love and the enduring strength of family.
A grief reversed. A hope deferred. The stunning true story of two families trading places from graveside to bedside.
Five lives were lost in a tragic accident involving a Taylor University van, and one young woman, severely injured and comatose, was rushed to the hospital.Five funerals were held. Families, faculty, students and communities grieved their losses and joined in prayer and hope as the one young woman, Laura Van Ryn, fought for her life in a hospital bed. The national news spread the story, and people everywhere shared the grief and the hope.
Five weeks passed for the Cerak family. Believing they had buried their
daughter, the Ceraks clung to their faith and worshipped Gof through their tears, learning to look forward with hope to an eternal reunion with their lovely daughter Whitney. They spent weeks of mourning and grief surrounded by loved ones, slowly moving toward healing.
Five weeks passed for the Van Ryns. Keeping a constant bedside vigil over their precious daughter Laura, they sat and prayed and hoped. Confronted with tubes and surgeries, vital signs and healing signs, they rejoiced at each tiny advance toward recovery. Their friends and church and family members, along with a steady stream of students, celebrated with them each sign of Laura's healing.
And then the shock!
"Okay, Laura, I would like you to write your name for me," the occupational therapist said.
W-H-I-T-N-E-Y
An event that could be seen as pure tragedy becomes a celebration of life's unfathomable gifts and mysteries.
All I could hear was the violin, and it was as if Juliek's soul had become his bow. He was playing his life. His whole being was gliding over the strings. His unfulfilled hopes. His charred past, his extinguishing future. He played that which he would never play again.
Listen to me, kid. Don't forget that you are in a concentration camp. In this place, it is every man for himself, and you cannot think of others. Not even your father. In this place, there is no such thing as father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone.
By the way, I have a feeling I'm not the only one who has been a little lax on the reading this summer. Anyone with me?
The book opens with this:The stars are not wanted now; put out every one;From Funeral Blues by W. H. Auden
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Just finished Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella; stay tuned!
P.S. - Sex and the City was fabulous!!
I hope you all enjoy your weekend! I'm going to work out via the Wii Fit (which is awesome, by the way) and continue reading Belong to Me.
**UPDATE**
I spent some time on my blog today, and created my list of books read in 2006 & 2007 (toward the bottom right of my blog). I'm so happy about that list, considering I didn't start on it until May 2006 after I graduated from college. (School and my extra activities took up ALL my time for 5 years!)
Tom Perrotta's thirtyish parents of young children are a varied and surprising bunch. There's Todd, the handsome stay-at-home dad, dubbed "The Prom King" by the moms at the playground, and his wife, Kathy, a documentary filmmaker envious of the connection Todd has forged with their toddler son. And there's Sarah, a lapsed feminist surprised to find she's become a typical wife in a traditional marriage, and her husband, Richard, who is becoming more and more involved with an Internet fantasy life than with his own wife and child.
Also in my hot little hands - Barbara Walters' memoir, Audition. (I previously referred to it here.) And I added at least 15 more books to my massive wish list. I hope everyone is enjoying a great holiday weekend - I still have some more reading to do before the work week begins :)
These books will not be purchased right now as I'm abstaining until I knock out a good chunk of my TBR pile. Happy reading to all!
Today I started Girls In Trouble, and I'm going to try my hardest to finish it by the end of the week..wish me luck!
And remember my 101 Books list? I think I may have to scrap the list and just read whatever is in front of me at the moment! Following the list is hard for me, since I share books with friends and tend to buy impulsively from used book stores. I will read 101 books in 1,001 days, I'm sure of it - I just can't follow my list :)
