Book In Review

      When I Am An Old Woman…I Shall Wear Purple.   Ahh…a woman after my own heart; I thought.   ‘Til I realized that she was rebelling against society by wearing purple; and, wearing a red hat at the same time.  She was comitting a crime against the fashion police!   Again, a woman after my own heart !

        She tired of living by everyone else’s sense of propriety…of setting examples for the children and doing what others expect of her; so she dreams of a time when she is elderly and can do what she wants without regard for the opinions of others. 

         I find that both sad and encouraging…strange to have that exact combination  of  emotions.  It is a fact of life that we must balance our desires to do what we wish; along with doing what is right, while at the same time, being true to our self and becoming who we were born to be. 

         It is also sad, that many people find that they dont know how to do that balancing thing; without having a real or imagined veil of senility to hide behind… to be able to live as they wish.   

         This book, is an older book that i have had on my shelf for many years.  But, i have to say that i find it quite interesting.  It is a book of poetry and short stories.

       The general theme is one of aging women, and their personal observations on getting older.  How their lives have evolved over the years.

        Some of the writings are sad…some are silly…some evoke an alarming awareness of what the future holds.  In essense, it tells the truth of aging.

         When you read it, you are made aware of where you are at in your life and how you relate to those who are your elders…and, how you relate to family…and how, someday, others will relate to you. 

         Life is definately a circle…one that if you are lucky enough to live many years on this earth, you will begin to see yourself go from child, to parent, to grandparent, to some sort of child-like life once again.  Hopefully, in each stage you are loved and cherished as we are all meant to be!

        This book was edited by Sandra Martz; the copyright says 1987 by Paper Mache Press.

       The Secret Between Us, is an interesting book on the complexities of human relationships when stressed by a lack of honesty.  Barbara Delinsky wrote the book.   She is one of my favorite authors just because of the way she writes understands the undercurrents between her characters.

       This story has multiple levels of undercurrents between mother, dauther, father and grandfather.  It is able to navigate the past relationships woven throughout their current relationships with one another.

        There is a car accident that involves a teen driver who is driving with a permit while her mother is in the car.   The teen has secrets that the mother knows nothing about. 

         The mother keeps secrets from those who are important in her life…and the consequences that follow are mind blowing.  There is a pedestrian who crosses their paths who may or may not have been suicidal. 

         The pedestrian just happens to be the teen’s teacher in high school.  Throw in an ex-husband and a controlling father/grandfather and an adult sibling who has never felt accepted because of a perceived lack of perfection and it adds layers upon layers to an already riveting story about complex people.

        The mother does what many parents do and takes responsibility for the accident, thinking that she is protecting her daughter.  What this does to complicate their relationship, as well as other relationships in their lives, is nothing less than explosive.

        I like the fact that in the end the book really teaches compassion and acceptance for those in our lives that dont quite measure up to other’s expectations.  It is a fabulous book that i very much enjoyed reading.

         The publisher is Doubleday.  Their website is:  http://www.randomhouse.com/doubleday/.