Editorial Content for Shelter Me
Book
Promo
In the tradition of Marisa de los Santos and Anne Tyler comes a moving debut about a young mother's year of heartbreak, loss and forgiveness...and help that arrives from unexpected sources.
About the Book
In the tradition of Marisa de los Santos and Anne Tyler comes a moving debut about a young mother's year of heartbreak, loss and forgiveness...and help that arrives from unexpected sources.
Four months after her husband's death, Janie LaMarche remains undone by grief and anger. Her mourning is disrupted, however, by the unexpected arrival of a builder with a contract to add a porch onto her house. Stunned, Janie realizes the porch was meant to be a surprise from her husband --- now his last gift to her.
As she reluctantly allows construction to begin, Janie clings to the familiar outposts of her sorrow --- mothering her two small children with fierce protectiveness, avoiding friends and family, and stewing in a rage she can't release. Yet Janie's self-imposed isolation is breached by a cast of unlikely interventionists: her chattering, ipecac-toting aunt; her bossy, over-manicured neighbor; her muffin-bearing cousin; and even Tug, the contractor with a private grief all his own.
As the porch takes shape, Janie discovers that the unknowable terrain of the future is best navigated with the help of others --- even those we least expect to call on, much less learn to love.
SHELTER ME © Copyright 2011 by Juliette Fay. Reprinted with permission by Avon A. All rights reserved.
December 2008
As my family and I prepare to embark on our annual Christmas retreat to the Outer Banks, I find myself double-checking the calendar every now and then to be certain that Christmas IS indeed right around the corner. Time at The Book Report Network always seems to move faster than usual, and I am looking forward to spending the final days of 2008 unwinding with my family and reflecting on this past year.
December 19, 2008
It is shocking, but I finally have come to accept that there only are so many hours in a day/week/year, and how you divide them up does not mean you have more of them. Thus, while the holiday cards are mailed (truly a feat), the presents are not wrapped, and I truly fear looking at my list twice since I think there is someone I am forgetting. I have been so busy that I am running my life in 24-hour increments focusing on what I need to do in 24 hours and not projecting much beyond that. It seems to be working since I am not experiencing holiday meltdown.
What did you think of the books you read in 2008?
December 19, 2008, 264 voters
What was your favorite book of 2008? And yes, we know, you cannot pick just one, so please feel free to select up to three!
December 19, 2008
December 12, 2008
As I write this, I am in the airport waiting for a flight to Florida where I am meeting up with my friend Starr for a weekend of catching up at the beach. Okay, I confess that this is a trip purely to hit Gold Status on Continental, a quasi "mileage run." I was 1,200 miles short of the required 50,000 miles to "go gold" and decided to do a short trip for pure fun to hit the goal.
December 5, 2008
The tree is up, the house is decorated, the cards have been designed --- and shockingly even ordered --- and I am moving on to holiday shopping. According to the results of our most recent poll, 78% of you are planning to give books this holiday season, and to the 7% of you overachievers who already have your shopping done, I so envy you. Both of my boys want books, which makes me smile.
