Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Memory of Love by Linda Olsson

Summary:
Marion Flint, in her early fifties, has spent fifteen years living a quiet life on the rugged coast of New Zealand, a life that allows the door to her past to remain firmly shut. But a chance meeting with a young boy, Ika, and her desire to help him force Marion to open the Pandora’s box of her memory.

My take: 5 looks

Oh, how I love this author's writing. It is like sitting on a float in the water, gently moving in the direction the water desires, while you just relax into it. And since much of this story takes place on the beach, that is a appropriate analogy.

The Memory of Love is all about coming to terms with old memories while making new ones. As Marion's present person is challenged and changed, her past person also unfurls like a newly-born fern frond. A mixture of tragic souls converge on a beach in a remote and tightly-knit town. These three have this in common: they are all outsiders and have no one else.

Written with simplicity, this is a story of the heart. With a bit of a surprise twist toward the end, Olsson writes a moving and well-told story of love, loss and finally redemption, often from the most unexpected sources.

Highly recommended.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Egad! But time does march on...

Where on EARTH has the time gone? There have been personal issues and challenges that I will not detail, but suffice it to say that I have missed the written word.

In my short hiatus, I have taken to rereading some old, comfortable, and familiar favorites. Jan Karon's Mitford Series always soothes an internal tempest. Dorothea Benton Frank's "The Christmas Pearl" is a delight at the holidays, and leaves me wishing I possessed some Christmas Magic. Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End" reminds me that even at one's sunset, there is beauty on which to reflect.

As true as a lover's shoulder, as pure as a child's delight, and as enticing as a beautifully wrapped gift, these treasures never fail me.

As we enter the holiday season, dearest reader and friend, may your days be merry and bright. I will bring forth new reviews, new words with which to play, and always my own insights into this crazy reading world in the new year.

Happy Reading!!