I read this book in (almost) one sitting. I could barely put it down. Barbara Delinsky is one of my favourite authors - has been since her days writing romance novels under the names Billie Douglass and Bonnie Drake and I have enjoyed reading her books as her writing grew in both length and depth.
**(SLIGHT)SPOILER**
More than any of her other books, though, this one touched me and gripped me, maybe because I could relate very easily. I've sat at the bedsides of several family and friends as they lay dying, including both parents, and with my mother I learned that you can do things that you never thought you would do and continue to do so if it means the person you love is still with you.
The story is told mainly from the point of view of Molly, whose sister has just had a unexpected medical problem, for which Molly blames herself, and so does her mother. Robin's accident is a tragedy which at first brings out the worst in her family - and then gradually the best. Longstanding issues are worked on and steps are taken towards resolving them. Their lives are never going to be the same - and they shouldn't be. Sharing an experience like this can either tear a family apart or bring it closer together. Some family members find strength they never knew they had and others who one always thought were strong fall apart in ways that can be scary to people who have always leaned on them.
The book deals with emotion: how each member of the family saw themselves and each other and what they learn about their viewpoints through this experience. Be prepared to have your heart wrung.
This is a definite keeper. ]]>
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"I returned the book to the library without reading more than the first couple of chapters."
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For myself, I'm giving this book three stars but I'm not the audience to whom it is directed, so all the angsty stuff which makes up the greater portion of the book just made me want to race through it. Since it is a relatively small book, I did just that, only to realise that it is the first of a trilogy. I'm not sure that I'll bother to read the rest. ]]>
I'm a cat person so I was predisposed to like this book - and I did. It was as much about growing up in small-town Iowa and the author as it was about Dewey, but that gave it context.
What a wonderful experience this cat gave to so many people all around the world! ]]>
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