I backed away and sat down on a tall stool next to a workbench cluttered with tools and stared at that heavy - solid - locked door in a ferocity of frustration. After a pleasant, restful summer at home and an invigorating motor home trip, the last two days had been full of more emotional disturbance and heartache than I had experienced since the death of my husband, and it all suddenly came together in an unexpected anger combined with grief. I swore at both of them for leaving in general, then at whoever had killed Sarah, and finally, ridiculously, at her for dying before she could talk to me --- for leaving me only a useless part of a letter and hiding the rest somewhere I either couldn't find, or couldn't get into. I pounded an ineffectual fist on the workbench until a pair of pliers bounded off to jangle on the cement floor below, startling Stretch away into a corner. (p.127)
The Serpents Trail by Sue Henry is a simple, somewhat predictable, and easy reading mystery. It is the first book in Henry's Maxie and Stretch Mystery series. Maxie is on her way to Colorado to visit her dying friend Sarah who has something urgent to share that can only be explained in person. Upon Maxie's arrival and just hours before she dies, Sarah gives a puzzling clue about some hidden papers. Maxie must solve this mystery along with several other mysteries that evolve as she simply tries to honor Sarah's last requests of final arrangements, the handling of the will, and the handling of some unexpected family affairs. Maxie soon discovers that Sarah withheld a very important secret throughout their friendship, and as she investigates the circumstances of that secret she soon finds herself in danger. She also begins to question the appearances and reactions of various people as she tries to find their connections and their roles in Sarah's life.
Maxie is a spunky 63 year old widow who drives a Minnie Winnie (Winnebago) with her mini-dachshund Stretch from Alaska to the lower 48. She prefers her RV to hotels and she enjoys the scenery along her travels. The descriptions of the Colorado scenery in this book are very descriptive and sound like a travelogue in some places. The story is fluff but enjoyable and the characters are only slightly developed yet remain interesting. I was looking for an easy read and found just that in The Serpents Trail. Nothing extraordinary, just a pleasant read.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Like Dandelion Dust
Wendy finished the story and quickly shut the Bible. What had she just read? A story about two mothers, two women with a claim to the same child. Wasn't that just like her and Molly Campbell, Joey's adoptive mother? The two of them both loved Joey, and both of them wanted to have him for their own. She pushed the Bible away. The story rubbed her the wrong way. What sort of wisdom did it have for her? In this case, she was the real mother, but she wasn't willing to give Joey up, not even if that was the best thing for him. She loved him too much. Especially now. (pp. 279-280)
Joey is a four year old boy who was adopted by Molly and Jack Campbell at birth when his biological mother Wendy Porter felt that she could not care for him properly. Now that his biological father Rip Porter is out of prison after serving time for domestic violence, Joey has become the center of a custody battle in Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury. Rip never knew about the birth of his son and Wendy had forged his signature on the adoption papers. This forgery makes the adoption null and the Campbells are devastated to learn that their son must now be returned to his biological parents.
But has Rip truly changed his ways of rage, physical violence, and drinking? Can Wendy now protect a son that she gave away at birth because of her fear for their safety in living with her husband Rip? And will the Campbells do something extreme to keep their precious adoptive son?
Karen Kingsbury has become one of my favorite authors over the past year and a half. The infusion of faith, prayer, and reminders of God's will found in her writing gives inspiration to readers as they become involved with her characters and their stories. She shows how tough situations happen to everyone and that faith should be a centerpiece in dealing with the circumstances and consequences of those situations. Whenever I read Karen Kingsbury, I feel like I have learned something along the way while at the same time receiving a breath of fresh air to increase my awareness of God.
And, once again, this inspiration is very evident in the book Like Dandelion Dust. Both mothers give convincing arguments for their love and actions toward their son. And both mothers want nothing but to protect Joey and give him the love and family that he deserves. In the process, and through very touching dialogue in the story, Joey finds God with the help of his cousin Jonah and with conversations in prayer that he always ended sweetly with "Gee this name, amen." Smiles and tears aplenty, Karen Kingsbury once again provides inspirational fiction that I will continue reading for a long time to come.
Joey is a four year old boy who was adopted by Molly and Jack Campbell at birth when his biological mother Wendy Porter felt that she could not care for him properly. Now that his biological father Rip Porter is out of prison after serving time for domestic violence, Joey has become the center of a custody battle in Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury. Rip never knew about the birth of his son and Wendy had forged his signature on the adoption papers. This forgery makes the adoption null and the Campbells are devastated to learn that their son must now be returned to his biological parents.
But has Rip truly changed his ways of rage, physical violence, and drinking? Can Wendy now protect a son that she gave away at birth because of her fear for their safety in living with her husband Rip? And will the Campbells do something extreme to keep their precious adoptive son?
Karen Kingsbury has become one of my favorite authors over the past year and a half. The infusion of faith, prayer, and reminders of God's will found in her writing gives inspiration to readers as they become involved with her characters and their stories. She shows how tough situations happen to everyone and that faith should be a centerpiece in dealing with the circumstances and consequences of those situations. Whenever I read Karen Kingsbury, I feel like I have learned something along the way while at the same time receiving a breath of fresh air to increase my awareness of God.
And, once again, this inspiration is very evident in the book Like Dandelion Dust. Both mothers give convincing arguments for their love and actions toward their son. And both mothers want nothing but to protect Joey and give him the love and family that he deserves. In the process, and through very touching dialogue in the story, Joey finds God with the help of his cousin Jonah and with conversations in prayer that he always ended sweetly with "Gee this name, amen." Smiles and tears aplenty, Karen Kingsbury once again provides inspirational fiction that I will continue reading for a long time to come.
Monday, April 21, 2008
A Year Down Yonder
"Mrs. Dowdel, ... I'm here to tell you that you're twice as bald-faced and brazen and, yes, I have to say shameless as the rest of us girls put together. In the presence of these witnesses I'm on record for saying you outdo the most two-faced, two-fisted shortchanger, flimflam artist, and full-time extortionist anybody ever saw working this part of the country. And all I have to say is, God bless you for your good work. ... Mrs. Dowdel, ... you're not everybody's cup of tea. Well, it's common knowledge, isn't it?..." (p. 49)
In celebration of an author's birthday in April, I read A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck. This book was the 2001 winner of the Newbery Medal Award. Where Joey leaves off in A Long Way From Chicago, Mary Alice continues with her story about the year she was sent to stay with Grandma Dowdel. It was during the recession in the summer of 1937 when Dad lost his job, the family had to give up their apartment, and Joey was in the Civilian Conservation Corps. This would be the first time she went by herself; but, in some ways she was looking forward to the experiences and adventures she knew would fill her time while her parents got their feet back on the ground.
And life is never a dull moment with Grandma. For as much as she tried to keep to herself, Grandma always had her finger in everyone else's business. The year included adjusting to a new two teacher school, catching pranksters, gathering nuts and skins, participating in various holiday traditions and charity work, lots of cooking and baking, meeting an artist who boarded with them briefly, and riding out a tornado. As always, Grandma uses her own personal touch on dealing with situations and people as they stroll through in her life.
A Year Down Yonder is narrated by Mary Alice and includes the characters that were introduced from her previous summer visits. Mary Alice's interactions, education, and life with her grandmother warmed my heart as this teenage girl begins to find the farm more like home rather than someplace to stay while her parents struggled with the recession. And the ending definitely brought a smile to my face. Although it is not necessary to read both books together, it does enhance the enjoyment of the characters, setting, and story lines. I am glad that I read both A Long Way From Chicago and A Year Down Yonder. I recommend them to any reader who enjoys a good collection of rural family stories.
In celebration of an author's birthday in April, I read A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck. This book was the 2001 winner of the Newbery Medal Award. Where Joey leaves off in A Long Way From Chicago, Mary Alice continues with her story about the year she was sent to stay with Grandma Dowdel. It was during the recession in the summer of 1937 when Dad lost his job, the family had to give up their apartment, and Joey was in the Civilian Conservation Corps. This would be the first time she went by herself; but, in some ways she was looking forward to the experiences and adventures she knew would fill her time while her parents got their feet back on the ground.
And life is never a dull moment with Grandma. For as much as she tried to keep to herself, Grandma always had her finger in everyone else's business. The year included adjusting to a new two teacher school, catching pranksters, gathering nuts and skins, participating in various holiday traditions and charity work, lots of cooking and baking, meeting an artist who boarded with them briefly, and riding out a tornado. As always, Grandma uses her own personal touch on dealing with situations and people as they stroll through in her life.
A Year Down Yonder is narrated by Mary Alice and includes the characters that were introduced from her previous summer visits. Mary Alice's interactions, education, and life with her grandmother warmed my heart as this teenage girl begins to find the farm more like home rather than someplace to stay while her parents struggled with the recession. And the ending definitely brought a smile to my face. Although it is not necessary to read both books together, it does enhance the enjoyment of the characters, setting, and story lines. I am glad that I read both A Long Way From Chicago and A Year Down Yonder. I recommend them to any reader who enjoys a good collection of rural family stories.
Friday, April 18, 2008
A Long Way From Chicago
Then she returned from the door, and I saw the look on her face. You had to study hard to see any expression at all, but it was a look I was coming to know. She appeared pretty satisfied at the way things had turned out. And she'd returned law and order to the town she claimed she didn't give two hoots about. (p. 35)
The past few days I spent a few summers of vacation in an Illinois rural town with Joey, Mary Alice, and Grandma Dowdel. A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck is a novel told in stories by its young narrator Joey. He and his sister spent one week each August from 1929 to 1935 on their Grandmother's farm somewhere between Chicago and St. Louis, in one of those towns the railroad tracks cut in two. [and] People stood out on their porches to see the train go through. (p. 4) Every year the two experienced something unique that made their summer stay worth the trip. Grandma Dowdel had her own way of living and dealing with the people around her, whether they be her grandchildren, her neighbors, or her worst enemy in town. When situations occurred, she handled them with her very own personal touch. Each chapter of the book recalls a different yearly visit and its unusual event that left Joey and Mary Alice with many memories of how, As the years went by, ... , [we] grew up, and though Grandma never changed, we'd seem to see a different woman every summer. (p. 1)
I enjoyed the way that Peck related the story through the children's eyes each year. I often found myself laughing at the way Grandma personally handled situations both on a daily basis as well as on an emergency basis. And nothing ever seemed to bother her! I also found the stories engaging because of the rural setting, the time period of which they occurred, and the old-fashioned, colorful expressions that the grandmother used when expressing herself.
I read this book in preparation for its sequel A Year Down Yonder, a book that is on a reading list for one of my challenges. I am glad I took the time to read it and definitely recommend the YA book to those who want to escape from the big city for awhile.
The past few days I spent a few summers of vacation in an Illinois rural town with Joey, Mary Alice, and Grandma Dowdel. A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck is a novel told in stories by its young narrator Joey. He and his sister spent one week each August from 1929 to 1935 on their Grandmother's farm somewhere between Chicago and St. Louis, in one of those towns the railroad tracks cut in two. [and] People stood out on their porches to see the train go through. (p. 4) Every year the two experienced something unique that made their summer stay worth the trip. Grandma Dowdel had her own way of living and dealing with the people around her, whether they be her grandchildren, her neighbors, or her worst enemy in town. When situations occurred, she handled them with her very own personal touch. Each chapter of the book recalls a different yearly visit and its unusual event that left Joey and Mary Alice with many memories of how, As the years went by, ... , [we] grew up, and though Grandma never changed, we'd seem to see a different woman every summer. (p. 1)
I enjoyed the way that Peck related the story through the children's eyes each year. I often found myself laughing at the way Grandma personally handled situations both on a daily basis as well as on an emergency basis. And nothing ever seemed to bother her! I also found the stories engaging because of the rural setting, the time period of which they occurred, and the old-fashioned, colorful expressions that the grandmother used when expressing herself.
I read this book in preparation for its sequel A Year Down Yonder, a book that is on a reading list for one of my challenges. I am glad I took the time to read it and definitely recommend the YA book to those who want to escape from the big city for awhile.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Between, Georgia
I can see things through! I signed, emphatic, and she patted my arm and shook her hand. I can, I insisted.
You never have before, she signed, still gentle. Genny was too afraid to come home, and I couldn't trust that this would be the moment that you would pick to grow into yourself. I know you will. But there have been things you knew you needed to do before, hard things, and you folded in and waited and hoped either until something outside came along to make you or until it was too late.
I knew what she meant. She'd seen it in me... And tonight I had come to her because I didn't know where I would go tomorrow, and I was wanting her to push me to Athens or hold me here, to move me in a direction because I did not know how to move myself. (p.206)
Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson is the story of Nonny Frett and the hilarious community of Between (population 90) in which she was raised. She, her adoptive mother Stacia, and her Aunt Genny live next door to her Aunt Bernese and family. Just down the road are the Crabtrees, a family that has feuded with the Fretts for years and is the family from which Nonny's birth mother belonged. Add a soon-to-be ex-husband, a soon-to-be sweetheart, three vicious dogs, two different bottles of medication, cousins from Alabama, a doll and moth museum, and an innocent five year old niece, and you soon have a rather twisted tale of family loyalty, decision-making, and moving in the right direction.
"Over my dead body," said Bernese. "Over my bloated, rotting, double-dead body and the bodies of my executors."
"Lord, help me," I said to the ceiling. I tried again. "Do you mean that? Because Ona's nephews might take you literally." (p. 111)
As Nonny tries to smooth the very ruffled feathers between her two families, she discovers what it means to look out for your own. The book is a very easy read and there's always something new happening in each chapter. Things for Nonny and her families turn from bad to worse before they get better; but, of course, they live happily ever after in the end. I found myself laughing out loud and rolling my eyes throughout the entire story. Between, Georgia is my first Joshilyn Jackson book and I very much enjoyed it. It is full of Southern hospitality and hi jinks as well as a lot of fun to read.
You never have before, she signed, still gentle. Genny was too afraid to come home, and I couldn't trust that this would be the moment that you would pick to grow into yourself. I know you will. But there have been things you knew you needed to do before, hard things, and you folded in and waited and hoped either until something outside came along to make you or until it was too late.
I knew what she meant. She'd seen it in me... And tonight I had come to her because I didn't know where I would go tomorrow, and I was wanting her to push me to Athens or hold me here, to move me in a direction because I did not know how to move myself. (p.206)
Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson is the story of Nonny Frett and the hilarious community of Between (population 90) in which she was raised. She, her adoptive mother Stacia, and her Aunt Genny live next door to her Aunt Bernese and family. Just down the road are the Crabtrees, a family that has feuded with the Fretts for years and is the family from which Nonny's birth mother belonged. Add a soon-to-be ex-husband, a soon-to-be sweetheart, three vicious dogs, two different bottles of medication, cousins from Alabama, a doll and moth museum, and an innocent five year old niece, and you soon have a rather twisted tale of family loyalty, decision-making, and moving in the right direction.
"Over my dead body," said Bernese. "Over my bloated, rotting, double-dead body and the bodies of my executors."
"Lord, help me," I said to the ceiling. I tried again. "Do you mean that? Because Ona's nephews might take you literally." (p. 111)
As Nonny tries to smooth the very ruffled feathers between her two families, she discovers what it means to look out for your own. The book is a very easy read and there's always something new happening in each chapter. Things for Nonny and her families turn from bad to worse before they get better; but, of course, they live happily ever after in the end. I found myself laughing out loud and rolling my eyes throughout the entire story. Between, Georgia is my first Joshilyn Jackson book and I very much enjoyed it. It is full of Southern hospitality and hi jinks as well as a lot of fun to read.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Sourdough Baking
My family has been the recipient of a Ziploc bag of Amish Friendship Bread starter on more than one occasion. A couple of months ago, my daughter received a bag but failed to follow through with the ten day instructions. However, this led to a conversation about sourdough baking. My daughter had never heard of it, so I went to the library to check out a cookbook that I used a few years ago when I was obsessed with trying new ways of baking. I made a basic sourdough starter and have been baking with it for about a month.
Sourdough Baking: Fabulous recipes for bread machines and traditional methods by Susan Draudt is a treasury of tips, starters, and recipes. This cookbook includes a wide variety of recipes from traditional basic sourdough bread to flavored breads, rolls, sweets, and breakfast items. The author also included chapters about basic bread baking skills, ingredient information, and basic sourdough baking guidelines. And, as the title shows, there are recipes for both traditional baking as well as for the bread machine. This is helpful to me as I bake bread in both ways.
What I liked about this cookbook is the variety of recipes available for using the starter. Unlike the Friendship Bread, it will be hard to get bored with the sourdough starter. I also liked the additional chapters about baking and I learned a few new hints to enhance my bread baking skills. It was also interesting to read about the different styles and shapes of bread.
What I did not like about this cookbook is that the sourdough "taste" that I come to expect from sourdough bread is not always very strong in the final product. This was disappointing after I had told my daughter what to expect and then when she took her first bite she replied that she didn't taste it. However, hidden in the recipes and extra reading I did find suggestions in making the sourdough a more traditional taste. Now I adjust my recipe preparation and baking accordingly.
I tried the following recipes from this cookbook: Classic Sourdough Bread (bread machine), Basic Sourdough Bread (bread machine), Basic Sourdough Whole Wheat Loaf, Squaw-Bread Rolls, and Blueberry-Muffin Mix (made this twice: once with blueberries and once with chocolate chips). All these recipes were very good! I am now anxious to try the rye bread, the oatmeal bread, and the pancakes.
My next cookbook for the Soup's On! Challenge will be Taste of Home's 2008 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes. I have received the Quick Cooking Annual Recipes cookbook for the past six years and always enjoyed the collection, but I have yet to crack open this year's edition. I think it's time to find some recipes to go with all the bread that I have been baking lately!
Sourdough Baking: Fabulous recipes for bread machines and traditional methods by Susan Draudt is a treasury of tips, starters, and recipes. This cookbook includes a wide variety of recipes from traditional basic sourdough bread to flavored breads, rolls, sweets, and breakfast items. The author also included chapters about basic bread baking skills, ingredient information, and basic sourdough baking guidelines. And, as the title shows, there are recipes for both traditional baking as well as for the bread machine. This is helpful to me as I bake bread in both ways.
What I liked about this cookbook is the variety of recipes available for using the starter. Unlike the Friendship Bread, it will be hard to get bored with the sourdough starter. I also liked the additional chapters about baking and I learned a few new hints to enhance my bread baking skills. It was also interesting to read about the different styles and shapes of bread.
What I did not like about this cookbook is that the sourdough "taste" that I come to expect from sourdough bread is not always very strong in the final product. This was disappointing after I had told my daughter what to expect and then when she took her first bite she replied that she didn't taste it. However, hidden in the recipes and extra reading I did find suggestions in making the sourdough a more traditional taste. Now I adjust my recipe preparation and baking accordingly.
I tried the following recipes from this cookbook: Classic Sourdough Bread (bread machine), Basic Sourdough Bread (bread machine), Basic Sourdough Whole Wheat Loaf, Squaw-Bread Rolls, and Blueberry-Muffin Mix (made this twice: once with blueberries and once with chocolate chips). All these recipes were very good! I am now anxious to try the rye bread, the oatmeal bread, and the pancakes.
My next cookbook for the Soup's On! Challenge will be Taste of Home's 2008 Quick Cooking Annual Recipes. I have received the Quick Cooking Annual Recipes cookbook for the past six years and always enjoyed the collection, but I have yet to crack open this year's edition. I think it's time to find some recipes to go with all the bread that I have been baking lately!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Reading My Name Challenge -- Completed
What a fun challenge... to find books that are written by an author that shares your name! And now I am pleased to say that I have finished my second challenge of the year!
The Reading My Name Challenge was a smaller challenge of which I read the following books to complete it:
Going To Bend by Diane Hammond
Breaking The Silence by Diane Chamberlain
Of the two, my favorite was Breaking The Silence. I had chosen two alternative books for this challenge as well and I will keep them on my TBR list for the future.
The Reading My Name Challenge was a smaller challenge of which I read the following books to complete it:
Going To Bend by Diane Hammond
Breaking The Silence by Diane Chamberlain
Of the two, my favorite was Breaking The Silence. I had chosen two alternative books for this challenge as well and I will keep them on my TBR list for the future.
Breaking The Silence
Silence isn't always golden. (front cover)
People keep silent for many reasons. In Breaking The Silence by Diane Chamberlain, Laura Brandon learns that people in her life have been keeping silent about different events in their past. Laura's father had a final request before he died: for Laura to visit and take care of a woman who she does not know. Laura's husband Ray is very uncomfortable with the request and urges her to disregard her promise. Then Ray commits suicide and their young daughter Emma is a witness. Emma becomes mute and regresses in her behavior. Torn apart by two deaths, an unknown woman who has Alzheimer's, and a mute daughter, Laura moves herself and Emma to their lake house to try and figure out why everyone is so silent about all the details that she so desperately wants to know.
Dylan Geer learns about a child he never knew he had. Sarah Tolley finally gets to break her silence about the years she was a nurse at St. Margaret's Hospital. And Stuart Darrow needs to eventually break his silence to help his sister-in-law understand his brother's motives. When all is said and done, Laura learns much about her family and past as well as falls in love with her daughter's biological father.
Breaking The Silence is a page turner that I could not put down the last couple of days. I found the suspense exciting and I liked the way that Diane Chamberlain interwove the secrets and the characters right through the final chapters of the book. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to finding more by this author who is new to me.
People keep silent for many reasons. In Breaking The Silence by Diane Chamberlain, Laura Brandon learns that people in her life have been keeping silent about different events in their past. Laura's father had a final request before he died: for Laura to visit and take care of a woman who she does not know. Laura's husband Ray is very uncomfortable with the request and urges her to disregard her promise. Then Ray commits suicide and their young daughter Emma is a witness. Emma becomes mute and regresses in her behavior. Torn apart by two deaths, an unknown woman who has Alzheimer's, and a mute daughter, Laura moves herself and Emma to their lake house to try and figure out why everyone is so silent about all the details that she so desperately wants to know.
Dylan Geer learns about a child he never knew he had. Sarah Tolley finally gets to break her silence about the years she was a nurse at St. Margaret's Hospital. And Stuart Darrow needs to eventually break his silence to help his sister-in-law understand his brother's motives. When all is said and done, Laura learns much about her family and past as well as falls in love with her daughter's biological father.
Breaking The Silence is a page turner that I could not put down the last couple of days. I found the suspense exciting and I liked the way that Diane Chamberlain interwove the secrets and the characters right through the final chapters of the book. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to finding more by this author who is new to me.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Love In The Time Of Cholera
Ever since she was a little girl, when a plate broke in the kitchen, when someone fell, when she herself caught her finger in the door, she would turn in dismay to the nearest adult and make her accusation: "It was your fault." Although in reality she was not concerned with who was responsible or with convincing herself of her own innocence: she was satisfied at having established it. (p.204)
Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is an old-fashion love story of two people who learn about love and its many definitions, roles, and places in one's life. Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall in love at a very young age. Many things stand in the way of that love becoming anything but "first love". Their lives eventually go in different directions until fifty-one years, nine months, and four days pass when that love could once again be shared.
... she would hear him say: "A man should have two wives: one to love and one to sew on his buttons." (p.222)
At the age of forty, half in earnest and half in jest, he had said in class: "All I need in life is someone who understands me." (p.247)
He recognized her despite the uproar, and he looked at her for the last and final time with eyes more luminous, more grief-stricken, more grateful than she had ever seen them in half a century of a shared life, and he managed to say to her with his last breath: "Only God knows how much I loved you." (p.43)
Florentino and Fermina fall in love after a flurry of love letters that they exchange in secret. When her father discovers the circumstances, he takes Fermina away to relatives so as to save her for a man with wealth and social standing. When they return, she feels disenchanted with Florentino and chooses to marry Dr. Juvenal Urbino, remaining with him until his death.
... he allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves. (p.167)
She would defend herself, say that love, no matter what else it might be, was a natural talent. She would say: "You are either born knowing how, or you never know." (p.198)
... [she] calmed him with the simple argument that love was everything they did naked. She said: "Spiritual love from the waist up and physical love from the waist down." (p.199)
Florentino continues to be lovesick for Fermina. He is a poet and romantic at heart and has a hard time dealing with the turn of events. Eventually he decides to make something of himself by saving his love for Fermina, working with his uncle in the shipping business, and involving himself in numerous affairs with many different women.
With sorrowing heart she reprimanded him in what appeared to be a casual question in the midst of other trivial remarks: "Why do you insist on talking about what does not exist?" ... Now it was she who tried to give him new courage to face the future, with a phrase that he, in his reckless haste, could not decipher: Let time pass and we will see what it brings. (p.315)
For they had lived together long enough to know that love was always love, anytime and anyplace, but it was more solid the closer it came to death. (p.345)
When Dr. Urbino dies of a tragic accident, Florentino returns to Fermina to declare his love. However, she is not quick to accept this declaration. Once again through many letters, Florentino writes of his thoughts on love, life, aging, and death. Finally the two begin to meet and develop a new friendship. And ultimately, they begin to fall in love once again.
Although Love In The Time Of Cholera was a tougher read for me, I found the language and simple love story to be well worth the time and effort. The love story was very romantic yet frustrating at times. I also enjoyed the many facets of love that the characters discover throughout their lives. All in all, I definitely recommend this book.
Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is an old-fashion love story of two people who learn about love and its many definitions, roles, and places in one's life. Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall in love at a very young age. Many things stand in the way of that love becoming anything but "first love". Their lives eventually go in different directions until fifty-one years, nine months, and four days pass when that love could once again be shared.
... she would hear him say: "A man should have two wives: one to love and one to sew on his buttons." (p.222)
At the age of forty, half in earnest and half in jest, he had said in class: "All I need in life is someone who understands me." (p.247)
He recognized her despite the uproar, and he looked at her for the last and final time with eyes more luminous, more grief-stricken, more grateful than she had ever seen them in half a century of a shared life, and he managed to say to her with his last breath: "Only God knows how much I loved you." (p.43)
Florentino and Fermina fall in love after a flurry of love letters that they exchange in secret. When her father discovers the circumstances, he takes Fermina away to relatives so as to save her for a man with wealth and social standing. When they return, she feels disenchanted with Florentino and chooses to marry Dr. Juvenal Urbino, remaining with him until his death.
... he allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves. (p.167)
She would defend herself, say that love, no matter what else it might be, was a natural talent. She would say: "You are either born knowing how, or you never know." (p.198)
... [she] calmed him with the simple argument that love was everything they did naked. She said: "Spiritual love from the waist up and physical love from the waist down." (p.199)
Florentino continues to be lovesick for Fermina. He is a poet and romantic at heart and has a hard time dealing with the turn of events. Eventually he decides to make something of himself by saving his love for Fermina, working with his uncle in the shipping business, and involving himself in numerous affairs with many different women.
With sorrowing heart she reprimanded him in what appeared to be a casual question in the midst of other trivial remarks: "Why do you insist on talking about what does not exist?" ... Now it was she who tried to give him new courage to face the future, with a phrase that he, in his reckless haste, could not decipher: Let time pass and we will see what it brings. (p.315)
For they had lived together long enough to know that love was always love, anytime and anyplace, but it was more solid the closer it came to death. (p.345)
When Dr. Urbino dies of a tragic accident, Florentino returns to Fermina to declare his love. However, she is not quick to accept this declaration. Once again through many letters, Florentino writes of his thoughts on love, life, aging, and death. Finally the two begin to meet and develop a new friendship. And ultimately, they begin to fall in love once again.
Although Love In The Time Of Cholera was a tougher read for me, I found the language and simple love story to be well worth the time and effort. The love story was very romantic yet frustrating at times. I also enjoyed the many facets of love that the characters discover throughout their lives. All in all, I definitely recommend this book.
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