Books

I haven't read anything autobiographical in... years.  After reading this book, that is all I want to read. The writing in this book is hauntingly beautiful, and ultimately is what propels and sells their extraordinary friendship.  Passages that I underlined, highlighted, read both in my mind over and over, as well as out loud.  What seems unrelatable just makes sense to me.

It was that day when the end of summer intersects perfectly with the start of fall, so it was warm but the breeze was light and nearly cool.

What legalized abortion brought to this country, along with safe medical practices, was the expectation of shame, the need to wonder if you were doing the right thing even though you knew exactly what you'd do in the end.  We could have our abortions but we had to feel horrible for the decision we made, even if it was hardly a decision at all.  So while social decency compels me to say that on the train uptown we cried and cursed fate and wondered what life might be like with a baby, the truth is we did not.  I could not imagine Lucy looking after a baby for an afternoon, much less a lifetime.  She did not try to imagine it at all...

Grief isn't something to 'be gotten through.'  It has no life of its own like that, it's just plain and imply there.  It's one of the things which tells us we are human. [letter from Lucy to Ann]

Wish I could say good things about it, but in truth is it was just ok.  Maybe because I read too many mystery/suspense books this past month, but this one is simply average - in writing and content.  There are some smart diversions and plot twists, some may even consider it a page turner.  There are better ones out there, that's all.