May 31, 2017 NOT MY CROSS TO BEAR

"The real story.....or what Mom says happened" is a common statement at family gatherings. We all laugh about this because it's true--sometimes. My recollection--many times--is apparently very different from what they say ACTUALLY  happened??  Who'd a thunk it??   Okay first--TIME changes our perception--the event-- can also seem more DRAMATIC as the years role by-- and IT REALLY IS hard to remember the PEOPLE involved in the story-- memory fades right??  Sometimes stories change--to protect the teller too--it makes life easier-- I guess. Our memories of people can also be very different based on our perspective. While the mother/daughter relationship can be difficult for many, it is a very different relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter. Time has passed and people have changed--even mellowed out. While I cherish the relationship I had with my grandmother, her relationship with my mother was not as successful. I wasn't there--I'm sure they both share the blame--but that doesn't have anything to do with my feelings for her. She made me feel special-- cooking my favorite meals--making my bed--spending time with me.  I knew I could depend on her for support--even call her in the middle of the night if I needed to. She's the only one who ever called my Marsha Parsh too. She wasn't perfect but who is?? While the verdict is still out on my parenting ability--I hope that my children forgive my shortcomings--make peace with the past and move on. Life is too short to wallow in yesterday. This is the premise of Fredrik Backman's lovely novel My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. 

If you loved A Man Called Ove then you will love Backman's second novel. Elsa, the main character, is a  mature, lonely seven year old  who is best friend's with her Granny. Granny is quite a character--she's a 77 year old retired doctor with personality plus--she's different and so is Elsa. Elsa and Granny live in a world of their own where they speak a different language and Granny regales Elsa with  fairy tales from  the Land-of-Almost-Awake and its six kingdoms that somehow seem to mirror the outcasts that live in her building.   After her grandmother dies, she leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to the people she' s wronged in life. Elsa's quest is to deliver these letters--to the  drunks, monsters and other crazies that live in her building that are in some way connected to her Granny.  While delivering these letters, Elsa learns who her grandmother really was and why her own mother struggled so hard to get along with her while she was alive. This is a charming story--the characters are so wonderful that you might just want to go live in their building. This touching story is about the importance of stories, honesty and the right to be different. Find out all about Elsa, her Granny, mother and all the other endearing folks she meets when you read this great book. It's about 350 pages --or a 5 mile run--that you will most certainly enjoy!