We are Water by Wally Lamb

I kept looking at reviews by the professionals until I found one with which I agreed.  It's in the Chicago Tribune and is by far more negative than I would report, but she does catch the essence of my "disappointment" - for lack of a better word.  I have loved everything Wally Lamb has written/published and don't think I am a hypercritical reader.  But, to my way of thinking/reading, he tries to do too much, tackle too many issues in a single novel and, as a result, doesn't do anything as well as he has in past works.  Still, my romance with him remains strong and I will read his next book but, perhaps, with lower expectations and, therefore, enjoy the possibility/probability of being delighted (again)! So, I recommend this book because, even when Wally Lamb is mediocre, he's much better than most! - BT

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

I don't know why I chose to read this book.  I think I read a review where the reviewer raved about it so I downloaded it from the library not really realizing what it was about.  Just thinking about the subject matter puts knots in my stomach: a man with a gun in an elementary school in Iowa.  But I was looking for a quick read between one book and another, and so I started it to see what it was like.  And I was hooked.  Although the subject is too difficult to imagine, the author does a beautiful job of describing specific individuals who are in some way related to this horrific event.  The story is told from the point of view of a policewoman, a teacher, a young female student, and a grandfather who is outside the school awaiting news.  We learn the back story of each of these characters and how their lives come together on this day.  The mystery of the story is who is the man, and it is slowly revealed as the plot moves on.  I have to admit that despite the topic, I highly recommend it.  -June

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

A group of teenagers meet at a summer camp and form a bond. The three boys and three girls call themselves The Interestings.  The book follows them from the time they meet at camp until they are in their 50's, and is generally told from the point of view of Jules, one of the girls.  Along the way, they obtain jobs; some are successful and some are not.  They marry and have children.  But throughout the changes in their lives, their friendship wavers at times but remains solid.  I thought this was a great book and loved seeing how the relationships changed over the years. The author has a magical way of revealing her characters so that you feel they are real - her sense of humor and detail makes it fun too. I listened to it rather than reading it, and the reader did a marvelous job of making slight changes to her voice for the different characters.  - June

The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein

Harry Bernstein was born around the turn of the century in England.  His street was divided with the Jews on one side and Christians on the other.  This book was written by Harry when he was in his 90's and is his story of his childhood growing up with an invisible wall on his street that separated the two groups.  While the cover promises and "love story" - and the book has a few - it mostly is a story about family, poverty, war, and the struggles the Bernstein family endured.  It's also about the love of a mother and how she will do everything possible to protect and nurture her children.  I thought this was a great book, and I loved the simply, conversational writing.  Just one thing I noticed that I'm sure no one else ever would ..... The book ends with a street party that temporarily unites the groups.  I couldn't help but see this as a musical with the cast gathering at the end for the grand finale.  Perhaps Harry had a play in mind when he wrote it.  - June

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

One of my favorite movies is Sliding Doors with Gweneth Paltrow.  In the movie, she's a young woman coming home unexpectedly in the middle of a work day.  In the first scenario, she misses her train, but in the second, she just jumps on the train in time.  From there, the story breaks into two entirely different plots - one that follows her life after she misses the train but eventually gets home, and the second one in which she makes the train.  What I love about it is it shows how a seemingly insignificant event can make a life altering change.

I was reminded of this movie as I read Life After Life.  Ursula is born in 1911 in England.  She dies but then begins her life again.  And again.  And again.  Each time, she has a sense that there is danger so she makes a change that will keep her alive.  For example, one death occurs when their maid comes home from London with influenza and gives it to Ursula.  So in several lives after that, she does what she has to do to keep the maid from going... sometimes just a small thing but it will change their lives.

As Ursula becomes an adult, the story gets a little confusing and I admit I often had to look back to see what year she's in as I was reading.  But the stories are fascinating, and she has a wide variety of lives (marrying an abusive man, marrying a Nazi, remaining single and working during the London Blitz). 

As I think more about it, I believe that Ursula was not the only character who was reliving his/her life.  There were some clues that made me believe that they changed as Ursula's life changed, and this would only be the case if they were altering their lives too.  Just a thought I've been mulling over.

This is a book that has stayed with me for a while.  And I think that I'd like to re-read it someday - which I almost never do.  Highly recommend.  -June