Missing May broke my heart, as I’m sure Summer broke May and Ob’s heart that first time that they saw how mistreated she was. I wanted desperately for this little girl to find some happiness in her world. Sure, she knew that she had the love of May (while she was still alive) and Ob, but her world seemed so bleak. I guess this dramatically clashed with my childhood stories of love, “Once Upon a Time”, and “…happily ever after”. When I learned, much later in life, that “…happily ever after” isn’t quite what it is cut-out to be, I had to change my way of thinking a bit.
I have not had the opportunity of reading Cynthia Rylant’s memoir yet, but I feel as if every book I read from her introduces me to her life a little bit more. I imagine that her life, or at least her childhood, was tough. That makes me admire her even more than just as a crafty artist, but as a survivor of life. She is able to write from her own experiences and tap into our own lives at the same time. Tragedy and despair will always come to us, even if we try hard not to let it. We can learn from our sadness and grow, much like Ob and Summer had to do after May’s death. They had been relying on May for so long that now they had to realize that they would always love her, always miss her, and a part of them would always need her, but they could and would survive.
Cletus was a grand character, with his quirky habits and ideas. He was just what Summer and Ob needed at this point in their lives. They needed someone who would take their minds off their sorrow. He drove Summer crazy when she needed a reprieve from life and he intrigued Ob in much the same way that May probably did.
By the reading of this book, I am reminded that life has many feelings and emotions and that books are one fantastic way to connect with characters that have experienced what we will or have experienced in our own lives.
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3 comments:
I too hurt to know that a child could be tossed around by her own relatives. It seems cruel and heartless. It makes me wonder about humanity..
I agree that Cynthia Rylant's early life must have been troubled and somewhat forlorn. The phrase " being passed around" reminds me of students I have had in the past who were passed from foster home to foster home. I hope that they can survive their childhoods to become productive adults, too.
I too was reminded that tragedy strikes all of us sooner or later in life. The question is, will we have what we need to overcome it? Summer does, thanks to the love of her mother, May and Ob, and like it or not, Cletus. It is his love that brings the first rays of light into Ob and Summer's life after losing May.
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