Maybe this is the right book at the right time.
I live in the Chicago ‘burbs. We still haven’t turned the corner into Spring, despite what the calendar says. Both work and personal life bring new challenges every day, it seems, and I am sick to death of having to dress like I am doing time on The Wall just to take my dog out for a walk in the morning.
This is all to say, finding gratitude these days requires a bit of a heavier lift than usual. So, to read Jessica Soffer’s “This Is a Love Story” is a reminder that the things we take for granted, like the smell of sourdough bread in the toaster or the smile that comes from hearing a TV show theme song, are the things we’ll be thankful for as the time that stretches out before us is much, much shorter than the road we’ve already traveled.
Told almost entirely from the perspectives of a New York City family of three — Abe, Jane and Max — readers are gifted with the love story of Abe and Jane, in all its tragic glory. Abe, a renowned writer, is capturing everything Jane remembers in her last days battling cancer. And its those little things that leave a mark.
Jane, a successful artist in her own right, is also reconciling her ups and downs with Abe, the challenges they faced and her own battle with severe postpartum depression. Their son, Max, maintains the narrative only occasionally, and that seems true to the character that he is — somehow both at the center and on the fringes of the family unit. His story with Jane is a perfect depiction of people doing their best and living with the consequences.
I don’t know that I’ve read too many stories, at least recently, where a mother struggles so mightily with the guilt that is borne from knowing what you should be doing, but your brain and body won’t listen. Jane chalks up not just the cast-in-stone distance between her and Max to her PPD, but also the moments of strain with Abe, acknowledging her inability to be fully present as a mother also clouded her ability to be fully present as a wife.
At the core of all of this is the concept of what a life is, what makes a family and who you can count on to make your time on this planet worth the while. As an aside, this story is also, in fact, a love letter to Central Park. If you’ve ever been and caught the bug, you’ll get it. I’ve spent but a few hours there myself, but there’s something pretty magical about that space. Here’s to hoping we can all find a place like that to come to again and again, and keep close to our hearts.
A great read all around, definitely enough fat to chew on for a book club pick, and excellent storytelling about what makes life worth living.
LitzyDitz 