Jack and Laurel Cooper are owner/operators of a small-town B&B in Virginia. They've been married a long time, and are leaders in their community and at their church. At the beginning of this sweet book, they die one night in each other's arms, he from a brain tumor and she of a heart attack. What, you say, they die at the BEGINNING?! What kind of a story is THAT?Well, the rest of the book deals with their three adult children and other family members who gather for the funeral and share memories of this loving couple. Each of their kids is dealing with his or her own life problems. Matthew, the oldest, comes "home" without his wife. They have been trying unsuccessfully to adopt a baby, and the stress has been damaging. Morgan has been on the run (most recently in Brazil) from an outstanding warrant for his arrest, and when he returns, he is forced to confront his old sweetheart, who is now engaged to his nemesis (i.e. "enemy"). Samantha (aka Sam) is a single mother, having divorced her husband after learning about his second extramarital affair. Going through their parent's things, they discover several boxes full of letters, and they learn that throughout their entire marriage, their father had written a letter to their mother each and every Wednesday. These letters range from love letters to newsy chats, and sometimes the letter was no more than a scrawl on a used envelope -- but as they go through the letters, the kids read about a devastating event that their parents had kept secret for years. They are forced to confront not only their own problems, but their parents' -- and to decide what to do next.
I liked this book because it was a quick read, the characters had real problems, and the solutions weren't pat or too-predictable. There was a definite Christian angle, which I found refreshing after reading too many books about vampires, murder, and social deviants.
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars
3 comments:
Wow, this sounds like a really interesting book. I am almost tempted to borrow it from the public library, but for some reason I am always hestitant to read books or watch movies about the elderly. It makes me extremely sad and a little depressed, so I usually avoid this kind of topic. I haven't even watched "The Notebook" because I know it has something to do with old age and, possibly, Alzheimers. Do you think this book is more depressing, or do you think it might still be okay for sensitive little me?
No, it's not really about the elderly at all (they weren't that old). And they acted young. It wasn't even about their deaths - though that was the focal point of everyone else getting together. The book was uplifting and thought-provoking, but in a positive way. Even SENSITIVE peoples' skin should be thick enough for this one.
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