I just finished the book and I really liked it; which is good because I needed a distraction this week. My house looks like we have been robbed. Even I am having anxiety about how messy it is. And that's saying a lot. We had a garage sale yesterday and got rid of a bunch of stuff, but there is still so much junk in here. what the what? blerg.
Anyway, as I read this book, I imagined the character of Cornelia as Kim Weed. Yup, I sure did Kim. Little; beautiful; sweet; kind; lovable; loving. I seriously just imagined everything with Kim in there. Someday you will be with a man who looks like Cary Grant, Kim. How lucky. Anyway, my favorite passage in this book was this:
"I sat up and rubbed her back with the circular motion I've always found soothing. After a while, she put her head in my lap and said,
'I want my mommy.'
I thought about those words, how they contained so much more than they seemed to contain, more than any four words could hold. They meant what they meant were also a universal cry, maybe the universal, plaintive, openhearted cry for comfort. Soldiers in the heat of battle; death-row prisoners; explorers stranded in deserts, jungles, on mountaintops; anyone sick or lost of just tired and bewildered: we all wanted our mothers."
Beautiful, right? Mothers. We all want our mothers. And that's one of things I liked about this book. There was so much love in it. People just loved each other. Patiently, unabashedly loved each other. Not only do we want our mothers, we need them. Just as we need each other. Viviana, at the end of the book, says something like a world with only two is not enough. We need each other! I am moving 4000 miles next month. I can't take everything with me. I called my mom to ask if she could make me some blankets since I had to basically give all of mine to Goodwill here (including my favorite one which I'm pretty sure we've all sat on at one time or another at Sunset Beach). No problem, she said. We can make as many blankets as you want. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my mom. That's what this book made me think of. Love didn't walk in, it was there from the beginning. We have our mothers. And we have each other.
How lucky are we?
Anyway, as I read this book, I imagined the character of Cornelia as Kim Weed. Yup, I sure did Kim. Little; beautiful; sweet; kind; lovable; loving. I seriously just imagined everything with Kim in there. Someday you will be with a man who looks like Cary Grant, Kim. How lucky. Anyway, my favorite passage in this book was this:
"I sat up and rubbed her back with the circular motion I've always found soothing. After a while, she put her head in my lap and said,
'I want my mommy.'
I thought about those words, how they contained so much more than they seemed to contain, more than any four words could hold. They meant what they meant were also a universal cry, maybe the universal, plaintive, openhearted cry for comfort. Soldiers in the heat of battle; death-row prisoners; explorers stranded in deserts, jungles, on mountaintops; anyone sick or lost of just tired and bewildered: we all wanted our mothers."
Beautiful, right? Mothers. We all want our mothers. And that's one of things I liked about this book. There was so much love in it. People just loved each other. Patiently, unabashedly loved each other. Not only do we want our mothers, we need them. Just as we need each other. Viviana, at the end of the book, says something like a world with only two is not enough. We need each other! I am moving 4000 miles next month. I can't take everything with me. I called my mom to ask if she could make me some blankets since I had to basically give all of mine to Goodwill here (including my favorite one which I'm pretty sure we've all sat on at one time or another at Sunset Beach). No problem, she said. We can make as many blankets as you want. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my mom. That's what this book made me think of. Love didn't walk in, it was there from the beginning. We have our mothers. And we have each other.
How lucky are we?
7 comments:
Okay, I admit I haven't even started reading this yet, but I'm going to. I swear. I think it's funny that Randi thought of me because when I was reading the synopsis I thought the same thing: "cynical about some things, romantic about others" and watching Cary Grant movies. Yup, that's me.
But I love that quote, Randi. It's beautiful and so true.
P.S. I'm really excited to live by you!
I finished the book a few days ago and I liked the first half of the book a lot. I really liked the author's writing style. She would go off on tangents (Cornelia's thoughts and explanations of things--is that what they call stream of conscientiousness?) and I found them to be very entertaining. It really helped build Cornelia's character. I LOVE that Randi compared her to Kim because it is true! Awesome observation, Rand. I can't believe I didn't think of that! It made me want to go rent a bunch of old movies that I've never seen.
But after loving the first half, the second half really let me down. It just got too unbelievable. Spoiler alert!!!! The dad dies? Cornelia inherits a house from a lady who plenty of family she should have given it to? Cornelia all of a sudden discovers she is in love with her sister's husband who she has known her whole life? Conveniently, her sister just left her husband and he is in love with Cornelia? When Cornelia tells her family that she is in love with her brother-in-law and he is in lover with her they react like it is no big deal? Viviana agrees to move to a new town and live with a stranger without really thinking about it for more than 30 seconds?
I realize that one of the themes of the book was about love and how love can be instant, and maybe I am not giving that enough credit. I think I would have enjoyed it more and found it more believable if one or maybe two of those things happened, but it just seemed like the last few chapters of the book was just one thing after the other of something kind of crazy. Did anyone else feel this way?
Also, this is definitely one of those books that has a movie feel to it, if you know what I mean.
I have to say that I kind of agree with Cami. I really the love theme in this book, but there were a lot of things that bugged me. Like the character of Clare herself. I mean, c'mon, what 11-year-old acts/talks like that?
I have so much to admit. I haven't even picked up the book yet and I kept reading after Cami said "spoiler alert." I still plan on reading it. Sounds fun. I love that it's reminding everyone of Kim because I have been watching all kinds of jane austen and BBC movies lately and I always pretend like Kim is at my house watching them with me. Has anyone seen Northanger Abbey? I really liked that one. The girl is so silly, but it seems like she grows up.
The end.
I heart you all.
Cami - I'm totally jealous of your 3 ocean experience this summer because I'm pretty sure I've seen ZERO oceans and only been to the pool a handful of times. How is this possible when you are the one with a full time job?! I need to plan a sunny vacation for the middle of my dreary winter here.
I removed my comment because of grammar errors. camille, come see me and Kim this winter in AZ. do it.
OH! Speaking of Jane Austen and BBC movies, you guys all have to watch the BBC version of "Emma" starring Romola Garai (not that I knew who that was, but just to make sure you get the right version). It is the best!
I have had a great summer. It it he most tan I've been in several years and I'm trying to figure out how to make it last. Why can't my mind accept the whole sun-is-bad for the skin thing?
And I also love you all!!
Hi All,
I haven't even commented on the book I chose, and it's now September 19th. Ha! I liked the theme of love and I loved how Cornelia's family and Teo's family just showed Clare instant love, regardless of anything. Unconditional is one of the most beautiful, selfless things, I wish I was better at that type of love. If people just loved others and helped them to feel loved we'd have a much better world!
Post a Comment