This book needs to be on every one's shelf. Pronto! It's so full of story telling and metaphors that you will want to use a marker. I know it's sacrilegious to mar a book page but you'll want to remember her similes. They are like no other. Possibly The Ironwood Bible matches it but nonetheless, grab this book at the library. Better still ... buy it! Read it. Underline what you will and make others read it too. Make sure they give it back to you!
Mine came from my neighborhood Book Club. It's such a good book. I really was hard pressed to put it down. Fortunately I didn't have to because we got some snow! And everyone knows that if Raleigh, N.C. gets snow we all shut down and hibernate. Even if it's only an inch of snow we bring out the sleds, pans and mufflers and walk around like we are in a fairytale.
Ok. Back to this book.
Stephanie weaves the characters in this book in their own mosaic pattern of joy, pain, disappointment, searches and private thoughts. She brings people together in a home that, by the time you are into the book, you wish you lived too because the people are so different yet fascinating. You want to be a part of the world within Margaret's mansion where you can be yourself amongst others being themselves. But being the best of themselves whatever that may be. Letting others 'be'. It's freeing. It's a surprisingly perfect world even if the people are flawed.
The lifestyle within the house creates a masterpiece or masterpieces out of broken pieces glued and grouted together to form a story from stories. To bring life from death.
You'll see what I mean when you read this book. I don't want to spoil it for you. But you will come to see that our lives are made up of broken pieces that through much effort can be put back together. It may not look the same but then so is life ... ever evolving and changing.
