#krissyws2019reads

There had been a day in the winter, an ordinary school day when she was walking with him after school. She had asked about his day and he had answered. She had tucked her hand in his elbow and they walked loosely in their coats. It hadn't been too cold. They fell into the sturdy silence that always lay between them. And why just then, why that was the moment, the moment in which she understood quite suddenly her own death, she couldn't say. Simply, she saw how he would miss her. She saw the middle-aged man he would become, struck dumb by the memory of this moment, of her beside him, his mother, asking him about his day. She could see it almost as clearly as if the future were her memory. And her heart pealed for her son, for what was coming that she could not put out her hand and protect him from. She would have done anything to keep him from the hole where there used to be her face turned to his, listening.

And she saw now, though he would miss her, that he could not know her completely, standing behind him om the picnic grounds watching. If he turned to look at her, he wouldn't see her. This unknowing would go on and on.

The Guest Book

Sarah Blake

I just finished this novel I started while we were on vacation a couple weeks ago. One of my favorite times at Webb Lake is early morning on the screen porch with my coffee, my book and the hummingbirds. I haven't had much time to read since our trip. I'm always drawn to a family story that revolves around memory and loyalty, and this one also happened to be quite beautifully told. It was not fluff. It was also a good choice because most of the story takes place on the water off the coast of Maine where the Miltons spend their summers. I like to spend one week in the summer on the shore of Webb Lake. Almost the same. Ha! but I could relate. The Guest Book was a compelling read until the ending. That's when it fell short for me. The build up was layered and long and then the story just kind of ended what felt like abruptly. It was as if  Blake tired of telling it and so then I was anxious for it to be over. I feel like that happens a lot. When I invest in an almost 500 page book I like to read the last page and feel satisfied, but overall I did enjoy The Guest Book so I feel good recommending it with that minor flaw in mind.