Women in the Grove: Stories Book

If you are a person angry at any man in your life, this might not be the right time to read this book because my overriding sense was that I was so infuritated with the husband/father character I wanted to strangle him.

The Breakdown Lane, in my opinion, is a story of a 15-year old boy who has to grow up quickly to care for his quickly deterioriating family. I felt every emotion imaginable for this young man, Gabe. I wanted to reach through the pages of the story and give him a hug. His normal teenage angst of girlfriends, school and acne are buffers to what he endures as caretaker of his baby sister and ill mother. When he's angry, I was angry, when he was glib, I would smile wryly at his self-deprecating humor. When he stood up for his family, I was as proud of him had he been my own son.

The story, too, centers around a woman unexpectedly facing a life-altering disease and her frustrations at suddenly having limits on her physical and mental capabilities. It is about a friend, who stays by her side, without question, without being asked. Strong characters, strong emotions, a strong story, very well-written. Quite the ending, too. I recommend it.