Stepping in the Write Direction

The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper turned out to be an amazing and fascinating book filled with stories and history spanning a century, artfully woven together. The narrative, like a large plane heavy laden with archeological finds and treasures, taxied down the runway, slowly increasing its speed until liftoff was achieved. Once it was airborne, I didn’t want to set it down, and the only things that distracted from the story were watching the end of the FSU vs UVA game, and a few hours of Ryder Cup play! The book has dual but related characters and storylines that range from early through late 20th century to present day. As the alternating narratives unfold, a great deal of history from those time periods is shared, including wars, the changing roles of women, art and the crafting of miniatures, living authentic lives, love stories,  and learning the truth about family secrets.  Author Elise Hopper writes, “Until the dollhouse maker delved into the world of keepi...

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez is a book that really touched me on so many levels. It deals with growing up with a broken parent, and the emotional carnage that leaves in its wake. It is about what love is, and what it isn’t. It is about accountability, building strong relationships, and the joy of raising healthy families. In the book Emma has memories about living with a foster family but her mother re-enters her life periodically, and the hurt lingers: “Unhealed trauma is a crack. And all the little hard things that trickle into it that would have rolled off someone else, settle. Then when life gets cold, that crack gets bigger, longer, deeper. It makes new breaks. You don’t know how broken she was or what she was trying to do to fill those cracks. Being broken is not an excuse for bad behavior, you still have to make good choices and do the right thing. But it can be the reason. And sometimes understanding the reason can be what helps you heal.” We are not just a divided socie...