Greetings,
You know what I love? Letters. Good, old-fashioned, handwritten letters. No, seriously, kids. These aren't just fairy tale things. They actually existed at one time. That one time when people gave a crap. Okay, harsh, I know, but as someone who values words, you can't be surprised that I feel this way. Now someone might counter my argument by saying that an email or even a text can contain the same words, so what's the difference? Well, much like how an ebook also can have the same story as a physical book, there is a difference. To me and to many others, while the words might be the same, books and letters make those words more real. They make those words something you can touch and hold. They make those words an experience. So, yes, I would take a letter or a book over anything any day. And, therefore, you can imagine just how much I would love a book about letters. So, even though I feel like I'm using certain words WAY too much, let's discuss a book called The Wednesday Letters.
The Wednesday Letters is a 2007 novel by Jason F. Wright. Admittedly, I picked it up because of the subject matter. The story is about Jack and Laurel Cooper, a couple who were together for 39 years and died in each other's arms. This isn't a spoiler. It's in the synopsis. Anyway, in the wake of the tragedy, their three children Matthew, Malcolm and Samantha, come together to make arrangements for the unexpected double funeral.
While going through the remnants of their parents life, they find a collection of letters that Jack had written to Laurel every Wednesday for all their years together. They begin to read the letters, at first, out of order, but soon they begin to uncover secrets about their family that none of them were aware of. As expected, these revelations cause tension between them and accusations and blame to be thrown around. And in the midst of dealing with this crushing family drama, each of the grown children are dealing with issues in the world outside their family home. With each passing moment, they consume themselves with trying to find answers and a way to move on with this new life they are now being forced to live.
I had no idea what to really expect when I picked up this book. I could tell that it was some kind of a faith based story, and believe it or not, I am often wary of those. Yes, I am a Christian and I enjoy a good story about faith, but on occasion, I think some religious writers, as well as film makers and musicians, are afraid to go too far, for fear of pushing away a devoted and built in fan base. They can also become complacent at times. So, it was nice to read this book that was written well and, while not going into gratuitous details, managed to tackle some very, very hard and dark subjects. And I think it did this fairly.
Now, over on the GoodReads, some of the criticisms people lobbed at this were that it was too much like a Hallmark movie, maybe with a dash of Lifetime. Okay, to be fair, it does have some of those elements, but it's not that bad. Not that I don't like Hallmark or Lifetime movies. I like them quite a bit actually, but this book is its own thing. I can admit that there were a few sappy and overly sentimental moments, especially with some of the phrases being said. Still, it's a book about getting ready for a funeral, so what do you expect?
I will say that what I enjoyed most about this book is that it's a story about the value and the power of forgiveness. And there are a lot of people in this that have to do some hardcore forgiving, even to the point where those who don't have a full grasp of the concept of it might think it's unrealistic. But it's the situations where forgiveness is the hardest thing to do, yet people still do it, that can make anyone understand that power.
In closing, I'd say I would recommend this book. I know it won't be for everyone, but if it sounds like something you'd like, then you'll probably like it. I certainly did, enough to possibly check out the sequel that I just found out exists. So, I guess I'll have to see where the story goes.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
