I liked it well enough, it was a good fiction fix and light vacation reading companion. I think it could have been MUCH better, it started out with grI liked it well enough, it was a good fiction fix and light vacation reading companion. I think it could have been MUCH better, it started out with great potential but it didn't quite live up to my hopes I had when I picked it up and first started reading. Then again, I may be a little spoiled after reading novels like Hannah Coulter & A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
That said, aside from what it lacked, there are three main themes in the novel that deserve closer reflection and helped me appreciate the book more: Grief (Especially unresolved), Hidden Guilt, and the subject of our society's history with people with Disabilities and Differences.
The various experiences with the trauma of grief woven through each character was something I could definitely relate to. I'm not sure if I would have liked this book, or at least understood it, as well if I hadn't recently experienced a close personal grief of my own. I think the author really did a good job demonstrating how powerful grief is and how, when it goes unresolved, it can cause so much more pain. Charecteristic to that time period, each character held their grief in instead of talking about it together or seeking outside help and, instead, they looked for "escape" from their grief instead of mutual consolation with those closest to them. This of course led each character on a path of destruction and pain rather than healing and joy.
Guilt: This is a somewhat taboo word in this current time as the popular trend is to "do what makes you happy" and not feel bad about it. But, with Dr. Henry's one pivotal choice, we see how much one choice, kept a secret, can affect one's life and the rekayionships with the people around you so irreversiblly. And how guilt, gone unreconciled, can grow like a thorny bush, blocking out all the joy and good of life.
Lastly, I was intrigued with how the author demonstrated how people's perspective of those with "special needs" and disibilities has evolved over the years starting with the idea of the 1900's into the later 60's and even 70's that "people like that" had to be "institutionalized" or even gotten rid of altogether - an idea that has lingered even into our own modern culture.
So, while the book didn't live up to my hopes and maybe could have been developed differently I still enjoyed it for the important thought-provoking themes that will probably mill about in my mind for a while....more
I immensely enjoyed reading this. It was as enjoyable as eating a delicious sugar-filled delicacy, each chapter like a new cream-filled pastry to inhale leaving me only craving more. Why am I comparing a book to dessert? Why did this book make me feel so hungry for pizza? I don 19t know the answers to such important questions or why I can 19t stop thinking about my bed all the time now. I do know that Jim Gaffigan is an incredibly talented human being and, from what I can tell, a much better father than he 19ll have you believe....more
I love hearing about and reading about other people and their stories. As a cradle Catholic, my religion was given to me 13 which I am very thankful fI love hearing about and reading about other people and their stories. As a cradle Catholic, my religion was given to me 13 which I am very thankful for. But I 19ve always wondered what it would be like if I 19d never known it and then suddenly discovered it. Reading Jennifer 19s book is like enjoying listening to a new friend tell me her story and getting a tiny glimpse at what it is like to discover and fall head over heels in love with God, Christ, and His beautiful Church.
This book is just what I've been needing right now. I got a little misty-eyed only reading the front and back covers! I'm excited to read this but alsThis book is just what I've been needing right now. I got a little misty-eyed only reading the front and back covers! I'm excited to read this but also don't want it to end. It's like having a good friend right there with me as I stumble through motherhood. ...more
All I have to say is, Simcha Fisher is a genius. She 19s witty, honest, hilarious 13 an all out genius. I 19ve come to enjoy her style of writing through her articles at the National Catholic Register and her I Have to Sit Down blog. If you don 19t like her style of writing, you probably won 19t like this book either. ...more
LOVED it! What an amazing story. I loved how well-written it is and am amazed with how much work must have gone into it. I was surprised with how muchLOVED it! What an amazing story. I loved how well-written it is and am amazed with how much work must have gone into it. I was surprised with how much I ended up liking it. Without giving away too much, I was deeply impressed with Louie 19s struggles and how he came out of them in such a miraculous way that put my doubts to shame. I 19m adding this to my 1CAll Time Favorite Books 1D list....more
I have to say that I am very impressed and 101 Tips may be one of the best books for Marriage I 19ve read thus far because of its simple and practical wisdom for married couples. I think all married and engaged-to-be married couples should read this....more
Surprised by Motherhood was just released as the buds of Spring peeked out from their hibernation and the timing of the release is perfect. For that 1Surprised by Motherhood was just released as the buds of Spring peeked out from their hibernation and the timing of the release is perfect. For that 19s exactly what this book is: a Springtime for motherhood, an awakening and rejuvenation after a long hard winter. Lisa-Jo 19s words are like the spring sunshine thawing our frozen hearts, making us remember anew how beautiful motherhood is. She found healing in her story and brings hope to ours. She found meaning and purpose in her motherhood and brings joy to ours. One day Lisa-Jo opened her eyes and saw the great gift God had set before her wrapped snuggly in her own motherhood. And now she gives us that same gift with her book....more
Suspensful, thought-provoking, thrilling. It did lose it's excitement towards the end but it was still an enjoyable read. Suspensful, thought-provoking, thrilling. It did lose it's excitement towards the end but it was still an enjoyable read. ...more
This was one of those random books someone was passing around and it caught my attention enough so I said I'd take it, not sure what to expect. And, sThis was one of those random books someone was passing around and it caught my attention enough so I said I'd take it, not sure what to expect. And, surprisingly, it was a very enjoyable read. So many times, we think of "poor people" as these "others" who exist but they are almost figments since we don't really know what that life is like. It's easy to judge and make assumptions about people based on what they look like, what they do, how they smell... This book goes right to the front lines of what it's like to work with people in need in a way that makes them real, normal, like any of us. I often think about how I'd like to do more for those in need, aside from just dumping my "unwanteds" off at the local Goodwill. This book gave me a new perspective and deeper appreciation for thrift stores, for those who work there, and for those who come there seeking help. ...more
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