I miss Mamah

Okay so maybe I was wrong. (Please note date and time for future reference) While I am still firmly against the style that the book was written in, I now find myself wishing that there were more of Loving Frank to read. I really enjoyed the character of Mamah Borthwick. I was stunned by the events near the end - if you haven't read the book and you don't know anything about the characters, please don't spoil it for yourself and Google Mamah. I have found myself over the past couple of days actually missing the book now that I have finished. If you've read any of my previous entries regarding this book you'll know that this was not an easily reachable feat. I resisted this book from the start and only continued because I wanted to finish this for book club.

Mamah (pronounced MAY-muh) was a very intriguing character. Combine the choices and struggles that she made and faced with the fact that she made them in the earliest years of the 20th century and you have a heroine that is likeable, detestable, consistent, heartfelt and very sad. I would assume that women of today reading her story will find many similarities in the struggles that are faced a hundred years later. So many women wrestle with work and family obligations with being responsible yet still free enough to still find and acknowledge the "real" person inside of herself.

In reading the author's notes at the end of the book I was disapponted to know that there was not much more material available to give me more insight into the real life of this amazing woman who made me actually want to read more about an architect.

Since finishing I returned to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which I was about 20 pages into while reading Loving Frank. I LOVED this book. I am sure that I could use much more flowery prose to tell you all its virtues but this is hand's down the BEST book that I have read in years (yes bypassing Firefly Lane) . Written in a series of letters, the authors (there are two - one of which who unfortunately passed away before the book was released) created a family of characters that was funny, endearing, heartbreaking, frustrating and altogether inviting and warm. Given that these characters have just come through the German Occupation during World War II, this was a daunting task, I'm sure.

Very often, I want for more when a book is over but with Guernsey I ache to know more about the rich characters that I got to know. There are so many stories left to tell and I am so sad that Mary Ann Shaffer is no longer with us to continue the incredible journey that "the society" has taken me on. I think that given the reception that this book has received from reviewers and book clubs alike, there could defintely have been a host of sequels.

In addition to the fabulous characters this book celebrates the universal love of books that I have and that I hope to share with my children. I will definfitely share this book with both of my girls as they get older.

On a completely different note, I am so mad tonight! My Detroit Red Wings had the chance to finish off the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight and win the Stanley Cup - no luck and now its on to a winner take all Game 7 on Friday. I hate Game 7's!

StephieB in NC