- Probably not too relevant to the main story line, but how the dad stayed home and the mom worked? I realize this is the 80's people {not that I know if the 80's was big on stay-at-home dad's or anything}, but I'm a firm believer in a hard working husband and ESPECIALLY father. They mentioned he dealt alot with war issues. Go see a counselor. Anyone watch Grey's Anatomy? Um...does Dr. Hunt ring a bell?
- Also, how disappointed were you when you read the book jacket of the description and come to find out the oh-so-major blood incident was just a lame practical joke at a highschool reunion? We clearly know that she didn't kill him cause already in Chapter 1 good 'ole Dan Swansea was recalling previous events and already thinking about revenge. DEFINITELY not dead.
However, I feel like I got into the book pretty easily. Despite those two hiccups, I'm actually anxious to see what else unfolds considering we have so much more to read! A sweet memory arose as the author was explaining how Addie and Val pretty much met and that definitely took me back to the summer before 1st grade. My family and I just moved to Oregon from California so I was in a completely different world. The details are fuzzy, BUT it was only a couple days before I met my best friend of the time, Rachael Shinall {woot woot...are you reading this? :)} I believe she was riding her bike around the neighborhood. We exchanged glances...soon names...then became inseparable for many many years. We lost most of our contact at College, but thanks to the 21st Century of social networking and facebook, we have found each other again and talk every now and then to catch up! Does anyone else have any story like that?
xoxo,
Novel Nester
Well I purchased the book on my Kindle so I did not read or get the cover info with that. So no comment on your thoughts there. But I do think you are a bit unfair about the father. I believe during the winter he did odd jobs, handyman, repairs, because Addie use to pass out flyers. So even though he was not working 9-5 each day, he did what he could to support his family. And it really did not seem that the family was deprived in anyway, other than the emotional relationship of father/child maybe for the war. I guess I only feel his pain, because I had known a few veterans from the Vietnam war and it was pretty horrific what they did and saw. They had alot to bring home inside their mind.
ReplyDeleteWe do not know exactly yet what took place years ago to injure their friendship, but it seems interesting to me that Valerie would show up at her door with what she thought had happened. Unless I missed it, I believe she came unannounced! So I say that has definitely captured my attention to read on...
It's not really that I thought that family was deprived because the father didn't work, I think that it's unbiblical. Wives and mothers are called to be keepers of their home {Titus} and Husbands and Father are called to provide for their families and if they fail to do so they are considered worse than an unbeliever {Timothy}. Clearly, there are VERY FEW circumstances where father's may not be able to work including cancer or maybe doesn't have hands or feet...I don't know...I'm just not totally convinced that psychological problems fall into that category. If someone is seriously struggling in that department they should be in a hospital or seeing a doctor on a consistant basis to help themselves. It didn't appear that he did that, was doing that, etc. Even after reading your comment again you mentioned he did side jobs in the winter. I missed that in the book, but sounds like he was able to do some kind of work. He should have did that year round?
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