I am so excited to be a part of the Where's Alice Bliss project. I first learned about it on BookCrossing, and then suddenly read about it in a bunch of places on the internet. It is just fantastic!

Anyhow, registering my book and will start it as soon as I finish my current read.

Alice Bliss is in CHARLESTON!

Alice Bliss broke my heart. The story is a simple one: Alice Bliss is the elder of two daughters in a close family. Her beloved father is sent to Iraq when his National Guard unit is called to active duty. What follows is the story of how the family he left behind learns to cope with his absence. Laura Harrington allows the reader to enter into the minds of Alice, her family and some friends. The love is palpable, though individual emotions are not always understood or recognized by those concerned. Having lived through horrific loss, I understand the importance of clinging to hope and clutching at ritual. Alice struggles with her father's absence, trying so hard to hold on to what they did together, or to keeping him alive in her life. Part of me screamed that no one in her school, besides her friend Henry, seemed to know her father was serving in Iraq. That seemed so wrong, especially since it was oh, so likely that the outcome in this case might not be a happy reunion. But Alice Bliss is about positive outcomes, about digging deep and finding reserves in yourself and those you love.

I found the characters in this novel extremely well drawn. I wonder if that is due, in part, to the fact that the author did a stage production of which the book is an outshoot. When you play a character, your psyche absorbs so much. Ms Harrington was able to translate this into the novel. I also marveled at the beautiful letters Alice's father wrote to his wife and daughters. I've recently been going through letters of my family, and wish that some of them had some of the eloquence and elegance of the letters penned by Matt.

The author has started a wonderful campaign to track where Alice Bliss travels around the world. The book I received was one of the inaugural books sent out on the where's Alice Bliss initiative. I took my copy down to the Battery and White Point Gardens, here in Charleston and took pictures. It seemed a good setting, as The Battery was also a focal point in another war that tore at the hearts of families. There were some moments in the last bit of this book that were so evocative, so beautiful, that I had to pause to absorb them. But I don't want to give spoilers, so I shall refrain for now. Though there are tough emotions in the novel, I ultimately feel it is one of hope. And, I feel it realistic, timely, informative, and well-crafted. Happy ending are not always what we imagine. They are what we make with the hand we are dealt.

Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookczuk/6057545886/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookczuk/6056997187/

Haven't sent Alice off yet, but she rode out Hurricane Irene here in Charleston. Here she is in a dry moment during the storm yesterday.

Passing on to another BookCrosser. Alice's first hop will be from Charleston, SC to Summerville, SC. Travel well!

I received this book from Bookczuk when we met for a movie. Will read it and pass it on.

What a sweet, poignant story. Very well-told and plausible. Excellent characterizations. You could feel with this family, and I have thought of them often since finishing the book, something I do not always do.

I am considering where this book should go next, but right now Alice Bliss is in SUMMERVILLE!

Released at our local BC meeting.

Went to meetup at Local Coffee to release, only to find out that today is their last day! Apparently the employees were as surprised as the customers. Kiptrix took the opportunity to pass this book to me so that I can help Alice travel some more.

Passing Alice on to a choir friend later in the week.

Released for the 2012 March Oh, the Places We Can Go Release Challenge, for the place/word ALice.

To the finder of this book:

Welcome to BookCrossing, a unique community of book lovers, sharing their libraries with the world. This book is now yours to read, enjoy, keep or pass on to another reader. The BookCrossing ID, which you entered in the "Enter a BCID" box on the website, is unique to this copy of this book. If you make a journal entry (either anonymously, or as a BookCrossing member) all previous readers of this actual book will be notified by email, and can follow the book as it travels. BookCrossing is free to join, completely confidential (you are known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address) and a heck of a lot of fun. Be on the lookout for other books left in the "Wild"!

PS And if you find yourself liking BookCrossing, there may be local BookCrossers who meet regularly in your area. Come join us!

This novel has so many truths in it about the way strong feelings... love, hate, fear, joy, longing, sorrow, loneliness, confusion, and again, love are so intertwined.

I think everyone should read this book to experience what life is like as a family member of someone who has been deployed. It is a wonderfully written book and I experienced many feelings while reading it.