Myra Lipinski is a fifty-one year old spinster who works as a visiting nurse. This book explores her relationships with her patients, particularly a man whom she had adored, from afar, during her teen-age years. I enjoy the way the author introduces the reader to the various characters. As a reader, I like Myra, and want to see her find happiness, even if it can only be for a brief time.

1-12-2004----Will start this one today. Thanks for sharing Kylady. I will journal more when finished.

1-16-2004---Had to finish this today.

I enjoyed this story of a single ~50 year old woman still searching for love and still feeling out life. It is very sad and toward the end I got so drawn in I just had to keep reading to know the ending. It is short and simple but poignant in the telling.

Sending this off today in a bookring. I hope everyone enjoys.

Arrived in mail today. Thanks, jennyscott! I thoroughly enjoyed my last from Elizabeth Berg and am looking forward to this one. I'll journal again when read.

And I'm just always scared something will happen to the "bookring instructions included inside the book" that I'm going to list the ring members here for reference. If there's a reason this shouldn't be posted, let me know and I'll edit it out:

WarEagle78
mamikaem
EDDI
back to jennyscott

This is my second Elizabeth Berg book, and I've become an official fan. This book was beautifully written, sensitive to the nuances of personality while being very unsentimental.

The main character, Myra, is a visiting nurse who lives a single life. The origins and texture of her daily life are laid out for us to understand before she learns of her next patient -- the golden boy of her high school dreams, Chip Reardon. How her vision of her life alters, both through her own actions and through interaction with Chip and his former girlfriend, Diann, is facinating. Confronted finally an vision of how others *really* see her, Myra changes in ways that are beautifully laid out for the reader.

This book could be a tinderbox of emotion - Chip's death from a brain tumor is imminent from the moment he enters the story. But Berg doesn't manipulate our emotions. Instead, she leads the sensitive reader to understand what is happening in the minds and hearts of her characters without resorting to hyperbolic description of tears, joy, fear, despair... Just crisply written prose takes us beautifully where she wants us to go.

Will send off to mamikaem on Saturday.

In mail to mamikaem. Enjoy!

Just received this today. It looks really good. I can't wait to get to it! Thanks!!

UPDATE: April 24, 2004: Tax season is over and I'm reading this and really hooked!

This was such a good book! Like Wareagle78, I'm a true Elizabeth Berg fan after just the 2nd book! This was a quick read (whenever I could actually find the time to read). EDDI has asked to be skipped so I'm mailing it back to jennyscott tomorrow. Thanks for sharing this with us, jennyscott!

Got this back and am glad that some other folks got to enjoy it. Now I need to do something else with it. More to come.