The Underside of Joy - Blogher Book Club January Selection

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

I'm an avid reader. Anyone who knows me or who has read this site for longer than, say, a minute - knows this about me. That's why I'm thrilled to be a part of the Blogher Book Club - which combines two of my favorite things. Books, and reading. We are now reading The Underside of Joy.

The premise of this book is anything but simple. What happens to you when your life, and in reality, the entire life you've created with your spouse, changes in a flash? Do you have an emergency plan?

Ella loses her husband in a freak accident, and she's left with the two children she's come to think of as her own - the steo children she's raised for years after their mother left. When the step mother shows up at the funeral and decides that she wants to resume her realtionship with the children she abandoned, Ella is fiercely determined to put a cease and desist on the entire matter. But things aren't always what they seem. Those you think are truly evil and need no pity are oftentimes those who need pity the most. Those you think are 100% in the right are sometimes not. This is a book that will leave a mark on you, and you begin to second guess what you thought would be the correct answer. Ultimately, the decision made is one that you never saw coming, and yet, it is the only one that could have ever been fair.

I hate that word. Fair. Life is anything but fair.

Come and join our discussion - Are you prepared for a personal emergency?

It really made me stop and think - what would I do if I was in the same situation?

I highly recommend this book; I found it gripping and honest and the entire situation all too authentic.

 

 

Comments

[bama Cheryl]

Sounds like a good one. I'll check it out. I'm reading The Journal of Best Practices by David Finch. He's an extremely high functioning Asperger (Aspergian?) and it chronicles his efforts as an adult to learn the behaviors that his Aspergers prevents. Humorous and really interesting. You might enjoy it.

[Sarah]

I agree, this book made me stop and think, are we ready if the worst were to happen? I know the answer is no, and this book made me want to fix that.

[addy]

Intriguing thought - had to make an entire plan with various scenarios a few years ago. Major health concerns. Not a pleasant way to go about it but glad it has been done.

[Kay]

I downloaded this book onto my Nook. Can't wait to start it this weekend.

[Christal]

The book sounds interesting. I'll add it to my "personal" reading list. Right now I'm rushing to finish the Lee Child/Reacher series of books. Read one, and was hooked, so I've got 2 more to go ... but college textbooks are a bit higher priority. So I've compromised (hard as it is), as a reward for doing 1 chapter of homework reading, I get to read 1 chapter of the "me" books. It will take longer, but just like reading to your kids at night, it's worth it. I do get frustrated tho' when the chapter ends on a cliffhanger... What did you think of Diana G's last one? I liked it better than the Lord John books, but look forward to another of the others. Did you read the graphic novel? It's funny how some of the characters don't look like what I had pictured in my head (but I'm sure they were what Diana was picturing when she wrote).