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Jim is rather broad,
He was bounding down the stairs in front of me; his broad back barely fit in the narrow stairwell.
But after a few minutes, Lukas placed his broad hand on my shoulder and gestured
The morning sunlight slanted through the window and lit the outline of his broad shoulders.
Filip was about the same height as Lukas, except leaner, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
had never seen a man so tall and broad, strong yet fine.
so the man was hidden behind his broad back.
had read Dutch news all the time I was gone.
Oh yeah, she was 9 years old when she came back.
was a failure at everything.
Poor pitiful me. An ongoing theme. A crooked front tooth? How can i go on?
“Please allow me to carry you,” he said, his head haloed by the street lamp behind him. He stood there, broad and handsome,
The two male singers wore bathrobes and slippers. I could not tell if they were in costume because this was a modern opera or if these were their normal clothes.
Bathrobes and slippers "normal clothes"?
“It is hard to catch hares with unwilling dogs,” Filip said.
At first the proverbs were charming. Now im beyond sick of them. Even in Dutch, who talks that way?
Those who associate with dogs get fleas.”
Ugh
The water feels surprisingly deep despite the fact we are not far from shore.
If you were in a boat how would you be able to tell if the water was deep?
I can’t breathe. I am gasping like a fish on land—no air enters my lungs no
Ma and Pa would arrive for the funeral.
Why wouldnt they bring back Sylvie to be buried in the States?
Monday, April 25
Todays date
No, it could not be.
Give me a break. Shes been at deaths door for weeks.
Lukas said, his voice breaking, “Mother, we did not know. We never would have gone.”
Oh, puleeze.
grief consumed me and I could not bear any more risk to my wounded heart.
Blah, blah, blah
We were as cold as newly shaven sheep.
Ugh
I was longer than both of them now.
Since when are you long, not tall? Is this a Dutch thing?
My work here’s not quite finished.
What work?
I breathe in his smell of cigarette smoke and Earl Grey tea.
Do people smell of Earl Grey tea?
“Everyone except Lukas knows. I made it very clear to him once.
If he made it clear to Lukas why would everyone know except Lujas?
“I made it perfectly obvious how I felt about him and he was horrified.”
Again, everyone knew except Lukas?
Now that Grandma was gone, I had no excuse to stay any longer—unless Lukas asked me to, and I was not going to hang around waiting for him.
Why didnt she immediately fly home? She told Amy she still had "work" to do.
his back, so broad
They’re sitting on the couch; Willem has stopped short before them with a tray of coffee and tea in his hands.
They JUST got back from tge airport, this tableau has ma and pa seated on the couch and Willem serving them tea and coffee? Nope.
The stunned silence is broken by a long peal of laughter.
As opposed to a short peal?
Even when besotted, she had been clear and exact.
When youre in love, usually your handwriting goes to shit.
He had seen Snow Jasmine’s birthmark. He knew she was his.
How would her birthmark show him she was his?
Even a donkey did not stumble over the same stone twice.
Willem, my father, who took from me the man I desired most.
Huh?
“Ah-Jim, you good husband for Sylvie. Thank you, you take care of her.”
Very odd thing for ma to say.
Ma told me that while nothing can replace that which is lost, emptiness creates room for new growth.
Gotta admit, i do like this.
I have the pleasure and privilege of having Jessica Williams of William Morrow as my editor. Jessica’s tremendous emotional and intellectual insight brought out the best in this novel.
I disagree. This book had a great premise and a really good twist at the end, but so much of the text is sappy and repetive.
