I finished my first book of 2011 (excluding audios). It is, The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. What an amazing story. I do not even know how to describe it. I feel like I have been on an amazing trip. There is so much to this story. I am not sure I even understand all the places we were taken on this journey. How they all come together. WOW! I wish I would have read this in a Novel class. I would have liked to discuss every chapter. I feel like a book club could dedicate a month or two of meeting several times a week to this book. What a way to start my reading year.
I cannot do this book justice trying to describe it. I will write a few things from the back of the book. When high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his wife, Maureen, a school nurse, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both get jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, while Caelum is away, Maureen finds herself in the library at Columbine, cowering in a cabinet and expecting to be killed. She survives but is unable to recover from the trauma.
That is one part of the book I found so interesting and unique. Lamb wrote about the fact that not everyone can overcome tragedies in their lives. One of the best lines from the back of the books is: "they discover that the effects of chaos are not easily put right, and further tragedy ensues."
Lamb spends quite a bit of time exploring Quirk's past. This is the part I did not always understand. There was a point I felt like I was reading two stories. Finally, I felt like it all came together for me.
This is a long book. It is not always easy to read. But when I finished, I felt touched. I feel like this story is going to stay with me for awhile. You have to be a reader to understand this. Sometimes a book get inside my head and heart. I feel like I want to bask in the story I read. I can only say again, read it, read it. I might have to read Lamb's other books now.
I rate this book a 5. It will be tough to beat this year.
4 comments:
I was completely obsessed with Columbine, it stopped me in my tracks, I would like to read this book, although I am not a "reader per say".
Side note: I am wearing my moms "PURE" white (turned off white, due to the years)Wedding dress for the Recycled Wedding, my Bridesmaids can wear whatver makes them feel HappY!
Yes.....I am that cool....
I love Wally Lamb, and this is an amazing book. Loved it from start to finish. I was so excited to see you starting out with what I think should be among the "classics". Glad you enjoyed it!
I felt like it was a classic and it is a newer book. Crazy!
I loved, loved, loved this book!!! It most definitely is a book that "lives with you" long after you have read it. I really loved all of his other books and wish he was more prolific-but 3 of his books are more than 10 of another authors! (I found out about your blog because I am "The Mrs." OneCarbonHill's friend/officemate at work)
Post a Comment