Benediction by Ken Haruf

A gentle story about a man dying of cancer.  The scene is a small town in the mid-western part of the country.  It's a place where people go out on their front porch during a rainstorm to get a better look.  It's a place where your neighbor knows everything about you and brings you a covered dish when you are sick. 

Dad is dying of cancer.  His daughter Lorraine comes home to help Mary (his wife) cope with it all.  His son, Frank, is nowhere to be found.  Frank and his father had words many years ago and lost touch.   A little girl named Alice moves in with her grandmother who lives next door to Frank.  A new preacher comes to town with his own ideas about what's important in life.  All of these people meld together to create a homespun story about life and death.

I was particularly moved by Haruf's description of Dad's dying days.  His attention to detail is remarkable.  He is very good about bringing the reader into the story.  It's almost as if we are hearing friends talk about someone they know.

Worth reading.

Ladybookbug!

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

It is with a heavy heart that I write this review.  The author passed away last July.

A Week in Winter is a foray into a list of delightful characters staying at a stone house on the coast of Ireland.  Ms. Binchy's descriptions are so powerful, one can hear the waves crashing on the shore and the sound of gulls in the air.

Always known for her characters, this book shows again why readers love this author.  We are drawn into the company of strangers and feel that we are privy to their secrets.  I found myself wishing I was sitting at the wooden table in the kitchen, sharing a meal with these interesting people.

I will miss your writing style and am so glad I had the priviledge of reading your stories.  I am blessed.

Ladybookbug!

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova

Lisa Genova's novels are works of art.  She takes a hard look at people who suffer from some type of disability.  She forces the reader to be introspective and it is a good thing.  Her characters are believable and interesting. 

Her latest entry, "Love Anthony" offers a closer look at autism.  The story is about two women who are both struggling with who they are.  Beth is the mother of three girls, newly separated from her cheating husband and re-discovering herself in the process  Olivia is separated, on her way to divorce and dealing with the death of her only son.  How these two women's lives become inter-twined is what this story is all about.

This was a terrific story.  I found myself crying at the end.  Each book that I have read by this author is worth reading again.  Her other titles are "Still Alice" and "Left Neglected".  Read them.

Ladybookbug!

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante

Imagine you are a noted orthopedic surgeon.  You have just retired and have discovered that you are suffering from the early stages of dementia.  Your life-long friend and neighbor body has been discovered and the police think you committed the murder.

That is the case of Dr. Jennifer White.  Unfortunately she doesn't even know whether or not she committed the murder.  One of the clues leading law enforcement officials to her is the fact that her friend's four fingers have been surgically removed.

This is a well-written foray into the world of dementia told from the view of the sufferer.  It is also a great mystery which keeps you guessing until the last chapter.

A first-time author for me, but this author has written five books prior to this one.  I'll probably read one of her books again soon.

Ladybookbug!