August 3, 2017 AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH

Looks like we'll be battling the elements this weekend--thunderstorms--gusty winds--small hail. WTH??  I guess that's nothing compared to what Sir Edmund Hillary battled on his quest to summit Mount Everest right?? In order to psych myself up for the race--I've decided to pretend that I TOO am an explorer--MY QUEST-- not only to finish the Kelley Road Race but REACH THE SUMMIT--which in my case happens to be the THE GAM--for a celebratory cocktail. Even if I have to crawl-- inch by inch--I'll scale those STEEP--SLIPPERY-- STEPS--HELL--that's what Tenzing and Hillary had to do on the final summit. It was treacherous for them too as they were also-- exhausted--oxygen deprived -- dehydrated.  In order to reach their summit--they also had to inch over ice covered--slippery rock. See how the whole explorer thing fits--except at the very end.  Sadly, the only BAR at the top of Everest was the "Bar of Mint Cake" they shared to toast their success--a whole 15 minutes before they had to start their descent or  risk losing their way. No worries here--I'll be spending a lot more than 15 minutes celebrating--NOT worried about losing my way--UBER. This next review is about two families whose lives are dramatically changed when an unexpected visitor shows up at a Christening party with a bottle of Gin.

The book is Commonwealth and it's multi-award winning author Ann Patchett's seventh book. I am a huge fan of  Patchett and love all of her books, especially this one. The year is 1971, Bert Cousins, married father of four, decides to show up at a party uninvited, rather than spend time with his family. The party is for one year old Franny Keating. After too many drinks, Bert finds himself kissing Franny's mother, Beverly. The two eventually divorce their spouses in order to get married and relocate to another state--regardless of  the feelings of the  six children involved. The story then follows the step siblings over 50 years as the children become adults and the grown-ups become old. As an adult, Franny has an affair with a famous novelist, Leon Posen, and over time she tells him about her life. Her story becomes the basis for Posen's book which becomes a best-seller and movie. This attention forces the Cousins and Keatings to come to terms with the anger, loss and guilt they feel towards each other and their parents. This is a thought provoking book with deeply flawed characters who become family and develop life long bonds despite their differences.  Patchett is a wonderful writer with a keen sense of people. Her observations are spot on about life and the lies people tell themselves to make it all okay. I was  drawn to this book because I am a child of divorce. I was about three years old at the time, and I often wonder what my life would have been like if my parents had stayed together. It's a loss too many people feel. One that lasts a lifetime. Find out what ultimately happens to both families when you read this book for yourself. It's only about 300 pages--a 3 mile run-about divorce and its effects on the whole family.