The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is the story about a 14 year old girl who gets raped and murdered in a cornfield by her neighbor, Mr. Harvey, who is a serial killer. However, this book is not a murder mystery or crime book. This story is about how grief affects a family as told by the dead 14 year old from heaven.
This book is strange because of the narrator's voice broadcast from her heaven as she observes her family and friends on earth. It allows us to look at ourselves from the point of view of the witness.
We watch Suzie's father, Jack, struggle with the loss as he tries to parent his other daughter Lindsey, a year younger than Suzie, and his son Buckley who is about 8 years younger than Suzie, only being six when she is killed.
The mother can't deal with the grief and moves to California while her mother, an alcoholic, moves in to help Jack with the kids.
Having lost two children of my own in a drunk driving crash in 1993, I found this family struggling with their grief, each in their own way, very believable.
The creative tension in the book comes from tremendous grief each family member feels with the loss of Suzie, and the tremendous grief, love and concern that Suzie feels for each of her family members as she longs to be on earth sharing life with them.
I liked this book a lot and I highly recommend it. As a loyal Behavioralhealth web log reader, I will send you my copy free of charge to the first person who sends me their request with a mailing address. As a member of Bookcrossings I only ask that you share with someone else when you are done with it.
This book was unbelievably awesome! I loved it.
Posted by: Angelica | December 04, 2005 at 08:55 PM
This book sounds great.
Madros
c/o NSLC
P.O. BOx 442
Nenana, Alaska
99760
Yes, I'm from Alaska :)
Posted by: madros... | April 15, 2009 at 09:42 AM