Holly Peterson
William Morrow
Contemporary Women
complimentary review copy
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Being a part of From Left to Write Book Club has challenged me in wonderful ways. With each book we “review” our task is to not write the typical review but to write about something from the novel that resonated. With The Idea of Him I have a plethora of topics to choose from, and each even more personal than the last.
Something I believe we can all relate to in one way or another is having the wrong perception of events. For those of you with siblings ~ have you ever talked about a situation from growing up and each of you have a completely different version of the very same story?
My brothers are both younger than I am by 4 and 8 years respectively. I call them Little Brother and Baby Brother affectionately because at my height of 5’1 and there’s at 6’4 & 6’2, it’s fun to introduce them that way. And oh my when we take pictures together they always stick me in the middle ~ I’m never certain if it’s to accentuate their height or my shortness ~ either way though, it works!
Our parents divorced when I was 9, Little Brother 5, and Baby Brother 1. Most of our childhood was spent with our mom who we all know {now} loves us equally; however, while we were growing up we took turns believing each other was loved more. It’s become the family joke that Baby Brother is the Golden Child and loved the very most with Little Brother coming in a close second.
It wasn’t til I was grown with three children of my own I finally realized how our mom loved each of us, unconditionally, unequivocally, without a doubt, in equal measure. What I came to realize is that all the times she told me she focused more on one of us for any season it was because the other two were doing ok and did not need her full attention. Not that she ever ignored any of us, it’s just whichever one of us needed her the most got the most attention for that time period. For example, when I had an almost fatal car accident at 18 it was my season to have my mom’s undivided attention.
I get that now and I believe my brothers understand as well as they each have multiple children of their own. It’s funny how our perception of any given situation can change over time and with a bit more information, and yeah, probably maturity as well.
We are not always given the gift of time, information or maturity in the throes of interpreting a situation. All the more reason to keep an open mind, compassionate heart and closed mouth until situations can be understood. A lesson I continue to learn and hope to have mastered before I reach a hundred
This post was inspired by the novel The Idea of Him by Holly Peterson. Allie thought she had the perfect husband, until she finds him and another woman in a compromising position in their own apartment. Join From Left to Write on April 1st we discuss The Idea of Him. Join us for a live chat with Holly on April 3. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes. Happy reading my friends!
