Monday, February 14, 2011

The Usual Rules- Joyce Maynard 1- 59

The book starts with the story of how a girl named Wendy got her name.  The mother of the girl, Janet, had always dreamt of dancing on Broadway in New York.  She loved musicals, one of them being Peter Pan; her favorite character from that show was Wendy.  As a young woman, only 26 years old, she was chasing her dream when she met an artist named Garret (who is the biological father of Wendy).  Like any book, these days, Janet and Garret fall in love and have a baby.  But with every happy beginning comes a bad ending, which meant Garret left them for California and eventually Janet re-marries a man named Josh.  

At this part in the book, it's a flash forward to 2001 when a 13 year old Wendy lives with her mother Janet, Josh and her step-brother Louie.  Middle school is cruel, she's struggling with her body image, and her real father never comes around. 

But one tragic morning comes along, September 9th of 2001, where she left the house not knowing that when she returned her entire world would be turned upside down.  Her mother died that day, in the twin towers.  It describes the chaotic devastation that Wendy endured through the course of that horrific day.  It seems that all the people close to Janet were in serious denial about her death, they kept putting up missing person flyers and waiting by the phone all night.  I wish that day hadn't happened, because no one should have to go through that.  

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