The New Lu
I have a book suggestion: The New Lu by Laura Castoro. I just whipped thru it this weekend and I absolutely loved it.
I won't give away too much, but:
On the surface it's about a 49 year old woman, freshly divorced after 27 years of marriage, discovering that she's pregnant. By her ex.
It's really a whole lot more than that. If you have daughter(s) you need to read this book. If you have ever started over, done something unimaginably unpopular with your family, if you have ever lost sight of "Me" only to find her again, if you have ever loved and lost and then found (or hope to), if you have crazy friends and family, if the words brave, courageous, untraditional and unconditional mean something to you:
READ THIS BOOK.
Here's the thing. Most books with a female main character have her be at least two of the following:
1. Rich
2. Beautiful
3. Starkly poor
4. Thin
5. Great fashion sense
6. A rape victim
7. Abused
8. Incredibly smart
9. Poor judgement
10.A murderer
11. Sleazy or total prude
Lu is a refreshing and wonderful change. She's, well, she's Everywoman. And she isn't perfect. At times you want to reach into the book and shake her, but at the same time you're probably completely in agreement with her. Her relationship with her daughter is so dead-on. I need to say this:
If I read this book 10-15 years ago I don't think I would have loved it so much. If you are in your 30's or more, you will get this book. In your 30's you're able and willing to learn from people. In your 40's you could teach people a thing or three. In your 50's, I think you're both. I don't know how accurate that is, it's just an inkling.
I read Lu's story and I saw a lot of me in her. And I like those parts of me. I've been through some sh!t in my life (who hasn't). And through all of it, there were times when I just wanted my mom. And times when I didn't. And times when I thought I was a horrible mom. And times when I thought I was pretty damned good at it.
I've wanted to ring my eldest daughter's neck at times and others I've wanted to put her on my shoulder's and parade her around while screaming, "I somehow had something to do with this amazing, intelligent, bold, crazy girl!!!" As we approach 13, most times I'm too busy pulling my hair out.
In Lu's words on her firstborn daughter,
"This is my firstborn, the reason I am a mother. I love her the way I love blue skies, sudden summer thunderstorms and ripe tomatoes eaten warm from the vine. I couldn't imagine the world without her."
Yeah. Exactly.
If I close my eyes I can remember being 10 in my backyard. I'm walking to the garden and pull off a juicy, red 'mato. I can remember biting into it and letting the juice run down my arm and chin. It drips off my elbow. It's a bit dusty on the outside from my dad who is mowing the lawn. My 4 year old nephew is there, he's grabbed one too.
We're walking toward the house because it's dinnertime. I heard my mom just yell, "Jeeeeennnnn! Jeeennniffferrrrr! Come on and eat!!!!"
But I stop and keep eating this tomato. The lawn mower stops, dad comes around the side of the house. "Let's go Squirt. In the house." I toss the last bit of tomato over my shoulder. I wipe away the juices from my arm and chin. "Come on Pat."
Just a moment. Just a simple little sliver of a memory. The peacefulness of a summer day. Where dinner was cooked by my mom, where the table was set, where my dog Klyde was lying on the floor drooling, where the sun was beating down on the broken up driveway, glinting on a dirt bike. Where the laundry was hanging on the line. Where I was still a kid.
Thanks for the book mom.
The Only Thing In The Dark.
I won't give away too much, but:
On the surface it's about a 49 year old woman, freshly divorced after 27 years of marriage, discovering that she's pregnant. By her ex.
It's really a whole lot more than that. If you have daughter(s) you need to read this book. If you have ever started over, done something unimaginably unpopular with your family, if you have ever lost sight of "Me" only to find her again, if you have ever loved and lost and then found (or hope to), if you have crazy friends and family, if the words brave, courageous, untraditional and unconditional mean something to you:
READ THIS BOOK.
Here's the thing. Most books with a female main character have her be at least two of the following:
1. Rich
2. Beautiful
3. Starkly poor
4. Thin
5. Great fashion sense
6. A rape victim
7. Abused
8. Incredibly smart
9. Poor judgement
10.A murderer
11. Sleazy or total prude
Lu is a refreshing and wonderful change. She's, well, she's Everywoman. And she isn't perfect. At times you want to reach into the book and shake her, but at the same time you're probably completely in agreement with her. Her relationship with her daughter is so dead-on. I need to say this:
If I read this book 10-15 years ago I don't think I would have loved it so much. If you are in your 30's or more, you will get this book. In your 30's you're able and willing to learn from people. In your 40's you could teach people a thing or three. In your 50's, I think you're both. I don't know how accurate that is, it's just an inkling.
I read Lu's story and I saw a lot of me in her. And I like those parts of me. I've been through some sh!t in my life (who hasn't). And through all of it, there were times when I just wanted my mom. And times when I didn't. And times when I thought I was a horrible mom. And times when I thought I was pretty damned good at it.
I've wanted to ring my eldest daughter's neck at times and others I've wanted to put her on my shoulder's and parade her around while screaming, "I somehow had something to do with this amazing, intelligent, bold, crazy girl!!!" As we approach 13, most times I'm too busy pulling my hair out.
In Lu's words on her firstborn daughter,
"This is my firstborn, the reason I am a mother. I love her the way I love blue skies, sudden summer thunderstorms and ripe tomatoes eaten warm from the vine. I couldn't imagine the world without her."
Yeah. Exactly.
If I close my eyes I can remember being 10 in my backyard. I'm walking to the garden and pull off a juicy, red 'mato. I can remember biting into it and letting the juice run down my arm and chin. It drips off my elbow. It's a bit dusty on the outside from my dad who is mowing the lawn. My 4 year old nephew is there, he's grabbed one too.
We're walking toward the house because it's dinnertime. I heard my mom just yell, "Jeeeeennnnn! Jeeennniffferrrrr! Come on and eat!!!!"
But I stop and keep eating this tomato. The lawn mower stops, dad comes around the side of the house. "Let's go Squirt. In the house." I toss the last bit of tomato over my shoulder. I wipe away the juices from my arm and chin. "Come on Pat."
Just a moment. Just a simple little sliver of a memory. The peacefulness of a summer day. Where dinner was cooked by my mom, where the table was set, where my dog Klyde was lying on the floor drooling, where the sun was beating down on the broken up driveway, glinting on a dirt bike. Where the laundry was hanging on the line. Where I was still a kid.
Thanks for the book mom.
The Only Thing In The Dark.
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