A surprising gift brings closure for an elderly widow in a poignant story about grief, memory, and the persistence of love by the acclaimed, award-winning author of Miracle Creek.
Korean immigrant Mina Pak Johnson is clearing out the last of her husband's things when she finds a picnic basket in his closet-a long-forgotten wedding present from her mother. With it comes decades of memories-of her mother's wishes for her to be happy and her own shattered hopes for her first child-and regret at never having used it. Pushing her husband's ashes and a bottle of wine in a rusty old stroller, Mina is determined to re-create the picnic they never had. But with it comes something Mina never expected, illuminating a loving gesture her husband made years ago.
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Mina found the picnic basket the day before moving day.
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(Amazon Original Stories, 27 April 2023, e-book, 27 pages, borrowed from AmazonKindle via PrimeReading)
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I thought A Planned Occasion was terrific read. It gave me all the feels. The story has a simple premise, a woman finds a long forgotten wedding present after her husband dies and this leads to powerful memories. Yet, there's so much more to this story. I was drawn into Mina's world and didn't want to leave. The story is sad but also full of hope and love.