by Anne D. LeClaire
One of the best books I've read in a while, the Lavender Hour is the time of evening when the sun sets and the sky turns shades of violet and rose; the day is dying. "...Most people think black is the color of death but its true color is lavender."
Jessie Long is an artist from Virginia living on Cape Cod after her job teaching art in a high school is downsized. She spends her quiet days walking on the beach and creating jewelry made from human hair, then decides to be a hospice volunteer in her spare time. Jessie, who lost her father to a heart attack at age 14 and recently survived brain cancer herself, was taught to give back to the community and believes that people in the last stages of life have lessons to teach the living. She is assigned to care for Luke Ryder, a 46 year old fisherman suffering from pancreatic cancer, who wants nothing to do with hospice. Jessie is just supposed to give his elderly mother a much needed break a couple of times a week. However, Luke and Jessie develop a special friendship and begin to fall in love, despite his advanced illness and her longtime fear of love. Soon, Jessie is breaking hospice rules, desperately wishing for a miracle and forced to make a heartbreaking decision. This beautifully written book is difficult to put down and you can't help wishing Luke & Jessie could be together somehow. The dark subject matter is not for everyone, but many people who have lost loved ones to long illnesses will find it a riveting and rewarding novel. ****
One of the best books I've read in a while, the Lavender Hour is the time of evening when the sun sets and the sky turns shades of violet and rose; the day is dying. "...Most people think black is the color of death but its true color is lavender."
Jessie Long is an artist from Virginia living on Cape Cod after her job teaching art in a high school is downsized. She spends her quiet days walking on the beach and creating jewelry made from human hair, then decides to be a hospice volunteer in her spare time. Jessie, who lost her father to a heart attack at age 14 and recently survived brain cancer herself, was taught to give back to the community and believes that people in the last stages of life have lessons to teach the living. She is assigned to care for Luke Ryder, a 46 year old fisherman suffering from pancreatic cancer, who wants nothing to do with hospice. Jessie is just supposed to give his elderly mother a much needed break a couple of times a week. However, Luke and Jessie develop a special friendship and begin to fall in love, despite his advanced illness and her longtime fear of love. Soon, Jessie is breaking hospice rules, desperately wishing for a miracle and forced to make a heartbreaking decision. This beautifully written book is difficult to put down and you can't help wishing Luke & Jessie could be together somehow. The dark subject matter is not for everyone, but many people who have lost loved ones to long illnesses will find it a riveting and rewarding novel. ****
1 comment:
l
Post a Comment