July 6, 2018 MOTHER'S MILK

Mammograms. The only thing WORSE than getting your breast squeezed flatter THAN a pancake is perhaps--a colonoscopy prep or child birth. OUCH. So this BREAST SCREENING TECHNICIAN-deftly maneuvers MY saggy boob--twists it and shapes it--much like pizza dough--so it fits-- JUST SO-- into this machine. Then she puts on her DR. FRANKENSTEIN GOGGLES--CRANKS THE MACHINE-- asks over and over again--IS THIS TOO TIGHT??  Choking back tears, I nod--OKAY--even though I can HARDLY breathe. NOT KIDDING. Then she actually tells me to STOP BREATHING and snaps a pic. After barely surviving PHASE ONE-- it's off to the BREAST IMAGING EXPERT for an ultrasound because I have DENSE TISSUE--Who knew?? This involves traversing several hallways-- pretty sure I'm in the basement of the hospital NOW. Seriously. It feels like I'm in a TWILIGHT ZONE EPISODE. I'm strapped to a bed--FREEZING COLD GOO is spread all over my boobs--AND SOME weird contraption starts taking "ADDITIONAL PICTURES". Sounds suspicious right?? I'm pretty sure NO ONE wants additional pictures of these BAD BOYS. AHHH! The indignity of it all.

Maya Anderson, one of the central characters in Fredrik Backman's novel Beartown  faced humiliation and shame but in this sequel Us Against You she finally gets redemption.

I'm a huge fan of Backman and have read all of his novels. Loved Beartown and was thrilled to hear that he wrote a sequel because I loved the town and characters in the first book. So Beartown is a tiny town in Canada that lives--breathes--eats--HOCKEY. This is a poor town--always the underdog. Peter Anderson is the General Manager of the team who lives in Beartown with his wife Kira, daughter Maya and son Leo. After a brutal rape in their small community involving Maya, the team is threatened and the town is virtually torn into factions. Us and Them explores the aftermath as many of the players leave the club to play for the rival town, Hed. Others struggles with guilt and the consequences of doing the right thing. After the team is officially disbanded, a stranger comes into town to start a new team with a new coach who plan to stage a comeback against Hed. His new team includes, Amat, Bobo, Benji from the first book as well as several new players. This is a story about hockey but it's so much more. It's also the story of  people--lifers in a town they love. They are loyal,  determined, quirky--everyday people we all know--insightful and comforting to be around. Make sure to read Beartown first so that you can truly appreciate the whole experience. Us Against You is about 400 pages--or a 5 mile run--that I am truly enjoying. Happy reading.