Have you ever picked up a book and then realized that laundry, shopping, television, eating, yes even BLOGGING could wait until you finished that book? Well that recently happened to me when I read the most amazing book, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats! When I got to the beginning of the very last chapter I put the book on my nightstand and turned off the light and finally went to sleep only because I was not ready for this book to end!But more about the book itself in a later post, for now I want to write a post inspired by this book because as a member of the From Left to Write Book Club that is what we do. Not a review, but an inspiration! When Julia travels to Burma to search for her missing lawyer father, she discovers much more than she expected. Join From Left to Write on February 1 as we discuss The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker. As a member of From Left to Write, I received a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
When I was a little girl, I could not imagine my parents ever having been any younger than they were right that very minute. I just assumed they had been the same age forever just waiting around in limbo for me to be born. They had never been little babies, or toddlers, or preschoolers or teens or young adults. Nope, they had always just been the age they were then.
It was therefore very surprising to me to find out that they had had lives before I was even born!! *Gasp* What? No...I can't believe it. What do you mean, you remember when you went to school? What do you mean, you remember when you played with dolls and toy trucks? What do you mean, you had boyfriend/girlfriends before you married? It was just beyond my comprehension.
And then as I got older and I heard stories from my parents, or my aunts and uncles about various family events, adventures and/or secrets...well I was even more astounded! I think we just assume that nothing important could have happened prior to our being brought into this world.
But there were things that happened, marriages that took place and ended. Hearts that were broken, dreams that were shattered. Families that were formed. Loves that last forever. And I'm sure that I don't even know everything that happened in the past as yet. Every time our family gets together or I talk to a cousin or an aunt I learn something new.
This weekend I'm heading back to the homeland...our "tierra" as we would say in espanol. I'm heading back to Eloy, Arizona to attend the 50th Wedding Anniversary of my Cousin Mary Lou and her husband of 50 years, Fernando. This is a photo of them on their wedding day.
Family is so important and they are the ones that know us best. But even family doesn't know EVERY THING about us. We have secrets and there are secrets that we will never know.
In the book, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, Julia Win finds out exactly what I am writing about. She begins to find out the story of her father who went missing on the day after her graduation from law school. Her mother finds an unmailed love letter to a Burmese woman and the journey begins for Julia to find out the truth about why her father disappeared.
*****I wrote this post prior to leaving to Arizona to attend the Golden Wedding Anniversary. I just wanted to say that of course, again I learned new things about my family. The most important thing I learned is something I already knew but just had it reaffirmed for me..and that is THERE IS NOTHING LIKE FAMILY!
What a great post. It's the second one I've read this morning about reading a book. Funny thing is I have a post planned about reading as well. I agree with you that it's all about family.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check this book out. Your post reminds me of when I found old photos of my parents before I came along after my mother died. They were happy and in love...something that had left their relationship by the time I had matured to enough to understand such things. I grieved for the people in those photos that I never knew.
ReplyDeleteHey! I think I got this embedded comment thing figured out! Yay! Thanks for your help!
DeleteYour post reminded me of when I was a child-- I grew up going through the photo albums of my mother growing up, so that was never a surprise to me-- but my teachers-- my teachers were another matter entirely. I had my first world altering realization when I was 9 and saw my teacher at the store getting ready to go home. Until that moment, I just assumed they lived in the school and ate cafeteria food all the time (;
ReplyDeleteGrammy Goodwill...I'm on my way to check out your post. This was a really good book! I highly recommend it!
ReplyDeleteSextant...that is so sad. That had to hurt. Unfortunately love isn't forever. I look back at my wedding pictures and I remember the look in my husbands eyes as he got his first look at me in my wedding dress. He had tears in his eyes and he said, "You are so beautiful". I never thought that we would fall out of love someday, but we did. Sometimes love isn't forever, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't love at one time. Maybe instead of grieving for what once was be grateful that they had the love, even if not forever.
ReplyDeletePlease let me know how you like the book when you do read it.
Janin...I cannot believe you left this comment!!! I thought I was the only person in the world that felt that way about my teachers. I never realized my teachers had lives, private lives and hopes and dreams and tragedies. I just assumed that sat there patiently at their desks waiting for me to come back the next day.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine how those teachers went to class after having a fight with their spouse or having a car repossessed or being sick and having to deal with us kids? Teachers are amazing, that's all I can say!
Photos,diaries, letters teach us a lot about family and life. So are stories heard from its various members.
ReplyDeleteI say this to those who are careless and indifferent about albums and documents in their possession, or avoid family gathering and events.
I agree with you about albums and documents and especially family gatherings. Having just attended a huge family gathering that took me a 10 hour drive up and back, I have to say that nothing is more important than family and I would do it all again this next weekend!
DeleteYou hit the nail on the head! My daughter (who is 6) loves hearing stories about me and her father as children.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter probably finds it odd to imagine that you were ever her age...lol. I can imagine it will seem even more impossible to her the older she gets.
DeleteMy childhood was the opposite--I knew way too much about my parents history and the stories just kept playing out in my life. Check out my post about my Dad's NINE marriages.
ReplyDeletewww.readgritandgrace.blogspot.com
I read your post Bren about your dad and his nine marriages. It's just amazing that someone would want to be married that many times. I was only married once and that was more than enough for me!
DeleteI so agree about this book - could not put it down! And my daughter loves to hear stories about my husband and me before her. My son doesn't care yet (too young) but I'm hoping he is just as curious!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine anyone not loving this book! I remember loving to hear stories when I was little. Funny thing is I found out later that many of them were made up. Especially the ones my dad would tell us. He was just trying to keep us from getting bored on long car trips :-)
DeleteDear Alicia,
ReplyDeleteyou made my day...! What a wonderful post about my book "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats".
You couldn't have said nicer things. There isn't anything better for me as an author to hear that you couldn't put down the book and that you were so moved.
Many, many thanks,
Jan-Philipp Sendker
Wow! No, you made my day by visiting my humble little blog and leaving such a gracious comment! I truly did enjoy your book!
DeleteCompletely agree! I could NOT put down this book either...and there is nothing like family especially for their ability to love us for all of our secrets and all of our greatness.
ReplyDeleteTrue, we love family. I know I have some family members I don't like, but I love all of them!
DeleteIt's hardest for me to imagine my parents when they were in college for some reason.
ReplyDeleteI found that the second half of the book was impossible to put down. Loved it.
I love to hear stories about my parents when they were first married. My dad tells a story about getting his first paycheck for $180 for one weeks work. He was so proud to hand this paycheck to his young bride and much to his dismay she spent every penny of it in one trip to the grocery store!
DeleteMy mom replies that they had just gotten married and they had nothing in their new home. She had to buy mops and buckets and brooms and ironing boards, etc, etc...not to mention food...lol. I can just imagine that my dad was wondering what he got himself into!
Great post! Thanks for sharing! Hope you had fun in Arizona-my Grandpa lives in Tucson, and from driving there many times, I know where Eloy is. :-)
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