SEPTEMBER 2026 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, The Bright Years, Sarah Damoff

 

“Time can wash dirt off a memory until it is revealed as something else entirely.”

Welcome to our 18 Bookers who descended onto the home of Suzy Penner to kickoff the beginning of year 23 of our special book club! Welcome new members, Tracey Thompson and Linda Mulchin.

Jane, Patty, Kat, and I spent a good amount of time reading during the break and we believe we’ve come up with a great slate of books for this year that will hopefully enlighten, entertain, and foster lively conversation. Once again, we’d like to recommend ordering some or all of these from our local indie bookstore, Bookish. The list of books is as follows: Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke; The Wife The Maid and the Mistress, Ariel Lawhon; Theo of Golden; Allen Levi; The Book Club for Troublesome Women, Marie Bostwick; When Never Comes, Barbara Davis; This Book Made Me think of You, Libby Page; I See You've Called in Dead, John Kenney; The Lost Bookshop, Evie Woods; The Art of Burning Heather, Devrie Brynn Donalson. 

Business

We appreciate everyone who contributed to honor Debbie Yarger’s husband, Chris, who passed away July 16, 2026. Bookers’ generosity and the love and admiration for his sacrifices and service to Country are reflected in our $1,000.00 donation to the Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation. His legacy will live on by providing much needed services to our area’s veteran population. We received some late donations totaling $60.00 so I issued another check to CCVF. Debbie is very grateful for our outpouring of support

In keeping with the PWC’s focus on giving back to the community and in conjunction with our partnership with the Mabank Family Resource Center they will take gently used books. If you have any to donate, please bring them to me and I’ll make sure we get them to Cindy Kellum for the “giving” day.  

Thanks to Rebecca Robinson and Karla Lawson who again agreed to be our food and beverage czars. This year since Carla Russo is hosting the May meeting and furnishing all refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, they will only be responsible for our holiday party scheduled for December 8^th.  On that note each hostess of the other meetings may choose to offer just coffee/tea/water or provide a more elaborate spread. It has been Bookers’ policy since day one to focus on books rather than food, but as in past years, we have combined both successfully.

Each year we collect $10.00 for our ‘slush fund’ which cover any out-of-pocket expenses or monies to contribute to worthwhile causes. Last year we honored past Bookers’ members, Marcie Allen and Pat Faherty, along with adding funds in memory of Chris Yarger. Thanks for your support! (Venmo: @Joann-Neathery) or bring to our next meeting.

On a personal note, my deepest gratitude for everyone who purchased my latest novel, Wings Against The Wind. Your support warms my heart! I would appreciate you considering posting a short review and/or comment on Amazon. Customer reviews drive Amazon’s algorithm putting the novel in front of more readers. It’s a marketing tool that is cost-free and easy. Thank you!! And, I am honored to again speak to Bookish’ book club on Thursday, October 1^st, 6:30 social; meeting @ 7:00.

Speaking of authors, many of you are familiar with Ann Patchett who has forty-two books to her credit, eleven standalone novels, six non-fiction books, three children’s books and several anthologies. She is the recipient of the 2026 Library of Congress Prize for American literature honoring American writers whose work shows true mastery of the craft, originality of vision, and the rare ability to say something lasting about what it means to be human.

Sunshine

We wish Ann Ireland’s husband Charles continued improvement as he faces some health challenges.

About the Author

Sarah Damoff, a Texas native, lives in Dallas with her husband and children. She holds a Child Protection Certification from Harvard University. She is a social worker in the foster care system and has spent time counseling families affected by addiction. Her experience with issues related to alcoholism, divorce, adoption, and more is evident throughout the book. The Bright Years is her debut novel. Her second, released May 2026, titled The Burning Side is the story of a couple on the brink of collapse. When their house goes up in flames in the middle of the night, they escape with their two young children and the quiet knowledge that the fire is not the only thing threatening their family. The novel is about what we inherit and what we choose, about forgiveness and the ache of being known…but above all it’s about the meaning of home and the costs of long love. A family saga suffused with humor longing, and heartbreak. Novel # 3 is a work-in-progress titled State of Care is about a single mom whose son is taken into foster care after an accident who must navigate the flawed systems meant to help children and families but sometimes loses sight of their humanity. No release date available.

The Bright Years is a multi‑generational family saga tracing four generations of the Bright family in Texas exploring how cycles of abuse, alcoholism, and unspoken grief shape and sometimes distort love. The story moves from the 1950s to 2019 following Ryan, Lillian, and their daughter, Jet, as they navigate inherited trauma, addiction, and buried secrets while seeking to break patterns they never chose. The author shared an interview titled “To Build a New Family, I Had to Make Peace with the Ghost of my Old One.” Like many who lose their parents young, she resolved not to marry and like many who make resolutions, she ate her own words. She was eleven when her dad left after fourteen years of marriage leaving behind two freckled-faced daughters. Five years later her mom collapsed one afternoon and was dead by dinner while Sarah was at the theater rehearsing for Tom Jones. Her grandmother waited for her at home after watching her own daughter die and Sarah racked her brain to remember if she had told her mom she loved her. She died of aortic dissection – often called a broken heart – although technically inaccurate. After that she lived on the brink of tears – a whiff of her mom’s Clinique perfume on a passerby…a child reaching for his mother’s hand. The loss of her sister by way of estrangement came later…Sarah was haunted by her images everywhere she turned. The moment she fell in love with Lucas was when he asked about her mom – she asked him like what about her – to which he replied – anything…her blood type – the humor was a surprise – so she thought he must understand grief and he did as his childhood was not like a fairy tale. Two years later they were married and sixteen months later, their baby girl arrived, dedicated to building a new family on the ruins of the first – her new family now a point of reentry.  Fast forward to today – fourteen years and three children since the wedding. Her life is full of domestic noises… a running faucet, a child frustrated with fractions, another asking about her lost shoe…the room is a mess with food crumbs and Scrabble tiles.

She once said she would give anything, do anything, change anything to get her family back. But to change one loss would create another. An orphan’s inheritance is to know the nearness of loss…at any moment it is one breath away. “Our son has the same thick hair as the grandmother he never met. Our daughters will sleep beneath quilts handmade by a great-grandmother, decades before they were even a whisper of a dream.” She believes love – the capacity for it – is an heirloom, nothing else. It stubbornly funnels its way through her…a gift she once couldn’t see through the loss of it.

Rating System

0 – wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy

1 – put your money back in the piggy bank

2 – borrow, don’t buy

3 – good beach read

4 – borders on your favorite read ever

5 – order now, include in your will

Discussion

We strive to pick books that foster conversation and this one did not disappoint. Most agreed it was beautifully written despite the subject matters, and the Texas setting was a plus for those of us with deep ties to the Lone Star State. We had a couple of 2’s who were disappointed in the focus on addiction. The majority who commented felt it was a 3-citing the depth of some characters lacking; the plot didn’t ring true and some questioning why Lillian felt the need to hide the painful secret she had given birth to a son and placed him for adoption. Alcohol addiction fueled the plot pointing out how breaking the cycle requires lifelong work and the pain that it causes were raw reminders of personal stories from a few members. The novel also addressed domestic violence, guilt, and how difficult it is to survive and assume a normal life. We questioned why Lillian suddenly died leaving her daughter, Jet, to navigate grief and unanswered questions; and why, after Ryan finally achieves long-term sobriety, reconnects with Jet and his granddaughter, Apricity (which means the warmth of the sun especially felt during winter or cold days) dies of liver failure. Our 4’s thought it was a realistic picture of addiction and the pain it causes; some didn’t like the ending, but the last sentence tied my feelings into a nice little package of hope for a better generation of the Bright family. “I know Jet will keep her family close. Together, they will visit the hill where her parents lie in rest. And the oak that was once a sapling will spread wide its canopy.”   

Happy reading,

JoDee

MAY 2026 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, Funny Story by Emily Henry

 This is our final Bookers' meeting for this year. We will resume for year 23, September 8th. 

“You like people almost as much as they like you. And it makes being around you feel like – like standing in sunlight.” Daphne to Miles

16 met at the home of Jane Shaw to bid farewell to Bookers’ Year 22 at our traditional “wine & cheese” evening meeting to discuss this month’s selection by one of the queens of contemporary romance who did not disappoint satisfying our innate desire for predictability and happy endings as the genre dictates. Many thanks to those who provided a delicious assortment of goodies and spirits and to Rebecca Robinson and Karla Lawson for coordinating our menu and for agreeing to assume this role for Bookers’ Year 23, which will begin on September 8^th.  

Kat Mackey brought this wonderful cake in honor of Bookers’ long tenure and even more special was the design mirroring the book cover of my novel, Wings Against The Wind, and I managed to hold back a few tears until I got home. Very sweet sentiment and so appreciated!

Welcome new Bookers’ member, Suzanne Hughes, to the group and we’re excited to have another book lover among us. We hope she enjoyed her “first” Bookers’ meeting and will be with us when we resume after our summer break.

Business:

If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to renew your PWC Membership. Drop $60.00, cash or check, to a lockbox on Susan Cunyus’ porch, 395 St. Andrews Drive, Pinnacle Golf Club.

The Flags Across Pinnacle fundraiser is in full swing and participation in this visual display of our support of our military and in celebration of America’s 250^th anniversary is much needed. Kat Mackey is taking the lead in this effort, and the goal is to see Pinnacle awash with the red, white, and blue. If you haven’t already, please consider supporting this effort. Please contact her at 307-214-2256, or email kmackey321@yahoo.com for details.

Patsy Dehn on behalf of The Pinnacle Church shared a special event as detailed below. Please direct any questions to her at 214-478-5135.^.

We will be reworking our rating system by adding some increments to our “3” rating to bridge the gap between the meanings attached to 3 and 4. Thanks to Jeana Cunningham for the suggestion!

Our summer read is The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff about one family, four generations, a secret son, and a devastating addiction – a saga set in Texas and told from three points of view.

I will be checking on how to add Bookers’ members to Clubster as I didn’t know they were not automatically added with the PWC connection. Sorry for the confusion!

Sunshine:

Prayer warriors are needed for the following members of Bookers. Debbie Yarger’s husband, Chris; Penny Callison’s youngest son; and Kat Mackey’s sister Please keep them in your thoughts as they and their families navigate through these health issues and we hope after every storm, a rainbow will brighten the dark skies. Better news on the health front is Jean Alexander’s husband, Lee, has been released from the hospital after recovering from pneumonia and is doing well, and Kay Weatherford’s son’s health is improving.

About the Author:

She was born in 1991 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and received a creative writing scholarship to Hope College, where she initially planned to study dance, shifting her focus to writing and completed a writing residency at New York Center for Art & Media Studies. She began her career with young adult novels, publishing her debut, “The Love That Split the World” in 2016 transitioning later to adult romance with her first in that genre, “Beach Read” published 2020 which quickly became a bestseller establishing her as a prominent voice in contemporary romance – her style described as a mix of rom-com and chick-lit. She and her husband, William Henry, a graphic designer whom she met when she was 18, currently reside in Cincinnati and the nearby Northern Kentucky region. In an interview with National Public Radio, she was asked what shades of Daphne she saw in herself. “The fear of not being enough…especially in romantic relationships.” Her advice to writers – read everything you can; your voice will emerge if you give it time; and be true to your writing – don’t get caught up in the “it” genres – trust yourself and your work. Good advice!

Synopsis:

This story is about heartbreak, unexpected connections, and a fake relationship that turns real. Picture this – you have a dream job, a dream house, and are planning a dream wedding with the love of your life. Daphne Vincent, a reserved children’s librarian, moves to Waning Bay, Michigan, to start a life with her fiancé, Peter. Just before their wedding, Peter leaves her for his childhood best friend, Petra, leaving Daphne heartbroken and homeless. She moves in with Miles Nowak, Petra’s ex-boyfriend, who is also recently dumped. Despite their contrasting personalities, Daphne being practical and reserved, Miles, carefree and outgoing, they bond over shared heartbreak and quirky adventures around town. To make their exes jealous, Daphne and Miles pretend to be a couple, attending Peter and Petra’s wedding and posting staged photos on social media. Their playful scheme leads to humorous situations, including attending a senior citizens’ prom to recruit volunteers for a library Read-A-Thon. As they spend more time together, Daphne discovers Miles’ kind and sunny personality, and their friendship gradually blossoms into romance. The story concluded with Daphne and Miles hosting a housewarming party, reflecting on the “funny story” of how they fell in love.

The novel combines witty dialogue, heartfelt moments, and the popular “fake dating” trope, exploring themes of reclaiming identity after a breakup, friendship, and the unexpected ways love can develop. A film adaptation is planned for release on Netflix.

Characters:

Most agreed Miles, the Croc wearing, tattooed stoner bartender with an unstable career was a keeper – kind, witty, warm, and adventurous. Daphne’s character evolved from one who thought she was never enough who built her life on needing to have a sense of control and order to one of reinvention – learning to trust again marked by her willingness to embrace new experiences thanks to her relationship with Miles. Daphne’s mom was admired as she picked herself up by the bootstraps and made an independent life for herself; Daphne’s dad never met a stranger he couldn’t con who seemed like he always landed on his feet – the great schmoozer. Ashleigh, Daphne’s library co-worker, was armed with a wicked laugh-out-loud sense of humor. Peter, the perfect boyfriend, and Petra, his self-centered fiancé were a tolerable couple at best with one of our astute Bookers’ members pointing out Petra is the feminine version of Peter. Clever, and most likely on purpose in my opinion. (Thanks Amy!) And, my favorite, Starfire, who when we first meet, she’s clad in a gauzy maxi-dress looking like one of the Real Housewives on a desert vacation – she was quirky, genuine, never met a stranger, and had the 1960-1970’s hippie mentality – peace, love, and harmony. It’s impossible not to love a character who was certain she was an heiress on the Titanic!

Discussion:

We talked about why Peter and Petra would invite their exes to their wedding and what we would have done; the books that we read as a child that might have fostered our love of reading in certain genres – my two staples as a youngster were Charlotte’s Web with themes of friendship, sacrifice, and the circle of life and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland encouraging creativity. Today my favorites are The Little Prince – about friendships, love, innocence, and imagination with the emphasis on seeing what’s truly essential in life. And, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse about forming deep friendships with love, courage, and belonging as central themes. Both are masterpieces to be read and reread, IMHO. There was a poker scene in the novel, and our question was who would you invite to a real or fictional monthly poker night (not strip poker which adds another aspect to the discussion) – and why – things to noodle when you have time to noodle! Mine were Phil Ivey – considered the GOAT of poker; Robin Williams to see if  he could crack Ivey’s stoic nature; Kenny Rogers because he knows when to hold ‘em and knows when to fold ‘em; Homer Simpson, known for his poker skills; James Bond…because he’s just Bond, James Bond; and my Dad who might be able to hold his own with this group! Daphne is called a “we-girl” defined as not just an individual but also a member of a group that values mutual support, shared goals, and empowerment – the term reflecting the idea of being a part of a “we” rather than just acting alone – someone who is confident, creative, community minded, and committed to uplifting others. I think we know an organization of “we-girls!” It was also pointed out that in conversation some address themselves and their opinions as “we” loved the food or the décor, etc…rather than I. I failed to point out one of my pet peeves – and that is the overuse of words – there is a Thesaurus out there writers – use it. In our other rom-com selection, Life’s too Short, Adrian snorted 34 times; In Funny Story, some form of chortle was used 11 times….grrrrr….We chatted a little about books and reviewers with several pointing out their first Bookers’ meeting was in May, 2021when first-time reviewer, Debbie Yarger, skillfully and with teacher-like preciseness led us through the complexity of People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks by creating a visual storyline unrolling a picture scroll in reverse chronological order following the story from salvation back to creation as in the book and one packed with a variety of characters. There wasn’t a peep in the group as she walked us through the plot.

Rating System:

0 – aka The Susan – wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy. (Susan is special – no one else has a rating named after them!!)

1 – put your money back in the piggy bank

2 – borrow, don’t buy

3 – good beach read

4 – borders on your favorite read ever

5 – order now, include in your will

Fortunately, we escaped without any “Susan’s” or any 1’s. Two Bookers voted 2 – one because the audiobook narration lasted over eleven hours – predictable plot with no twists and turns and the other described it as “melted vanilla.” The 3 category received the majority of the votes with comments ranging from easy read like a Hallmark movie; predictable – a good beach read. I liked the characters and the premise – different people have different opinions of what’s funny…I wasn’t rolling on the floor with this one – but did crack a smile. Given the rom-com format, it was going to be predictable, but I thought she did a good job of developing the characters. The intimate scenes were a little too detailed for my taste…some cringe-worthy, but again that’s one of the elements of this genre – I like to imagine what’s going on rather than having a tutorial. Blame it on my fuddy-duddy-ness. Another commented on the predictability as in the deadbeat father trope but overall enjoyed the fast read. It served the committee’s goal in providing a lighter read for our evening end-of-the-year read. One Booker commented it was her favorite read so far! We had no one threatening to include this one in their will. Onward to next year’s slate of books. Please let the committee (JoDee, Patty Evans, Jane Shaw, Kat Mackey) know if you discover a “jewel” that meets Bookers’ criteria – has to be well written and foster discussion.

Have a wonderful summer break – from meeting – not reading – and we’ll see you around the compound.

JoDee

APRIL 2026 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, When Crickets Cry, Charles Martin

 

                        “Every heart has two parts, the part that pumps and the part that loves.”

15 Bookers met at the home of Kathleen Mackey to discuss this moving story of a man with a painful past, a little girl with a doubtful future, and a shared journey toward healing for both their hearts.

Business:

Many thanks to Jane and Bookers for the shoutout for my latest novel, Wings Against The Wind, winning the Literary Titan Book Award. It’s like validating the effort spent in finding the right word to create the emotion of a scene or developing unique characters that readers would like to share a meal with…or put behind bars! Speaking of “hearts” … mine is full.

About the Author:

Charles Martin, born November 1969 in the South, grew up in Jacksonville, Florida where he developed a love for fishing and canoeing on the St. John’s River, and currently resides with his wife and three sons close to the river where he spent his childhood. After switching in college from accounting to English, he earned a B.A. from Florida State, followed by a M.A. in Journalism, and a Ph.D. in Communications from Regent University. He began writing at 15 using it as a means to express his thoughts and feelings, receiving 86 rejections before his first novel, The Dead Don’t Dance, was published when he was 27 and The Mountain Between Us was adapted into a film in 2017. He is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author whose works explore themes of faith, love, and redemption touting a catalogue of over twenty fiction and non-fiction books. In a Q&A session he emphasized the importance of storytelling and its power to impact lives, believing success is not just about personal achievements, but also about relationships and the influence one has on others. He became a writer as a teenager because he didn’t have the skills to articulate out loud what he was experiencing…from girls, to sports, to grades. When asked what advice he would give to aspiring writers, he said 90% of success is showing up every day, sitting in a chair and writing…he starts his day with a blank page no matter how great or terrible the day before was. He speaks of receiving an email from a mom whose son was in federal prison and although he was doing okay, he told her after reading What If It’s True, for the first time in his life, he didn’t feel like a number, surrendering his life to Christ after reading it…Charles says he would give up every accolade to receive a message like this…to him this is what defines success.

Synopsis:

When Crickets Cry is less about a doctor performing life-saving heart transplants and more about the complicated relationship between his own heart and his profession. The narrative begins on a tranquil town square in the north Georgia mountains where a vivacious seven-year-old girl named Annie with a congenital heart defect operates a lemonade stand to raise money for her medical treatments. Her spirit is infectious, yet a visible scar on her chest is evidence of her physical and emotional struggles. One day a mysterious bearded stranger stops by her stand and is immediately drawn to the little girl. His name is Reese, a former heart surgeon who has retreated from his career after a personal tragedy involving the death of his wife, Emma, who also suffered from a heart ailment. He lives in seclusion, haunted by guilt over her death, spending his days rowing and restoring old boats with his brother-in-law, Charlie. As the story unfolds, Reese and Annie’s lives become intertwined when a bread truck careens around the corner as Annie was chasing the paper money that blew off her lemonade stand and into the intersection. Reese got to her first…her eyes were closed; her tongue had collapsed into her airway and was choking her. He immediately resumed Doctor mode stabilizing the little girl until the ambulance arrived. Their heartwarming connection continued to grow throughout the novel creating a tale of two individuals burdened by past and present challenges…the story conveying that even in moments of despair, hope, healing, and profound human bonds are possible.

The title:

It’s explained in chapter 25 when Annie and Reese walk by a box of chirping crickets on the dock that suddenly grows silent. Annie explained they were crying and you could only hear them if you listen closely…but you don’t hear them with your ears…you hear them with your heart. Reese asks why they are crying…Annie says because they know if she can’t find a heart, and her aunt can’t find someone to put it in, and she doesn’t stay healthy until that time, and they don’t find the money to pay for the transplant…she won’t be there next year to talk to them and they know it’s their life for mine.” Reese asks how they know all that…” because I tell them… dummy.” The title serves as a metaphor for grief and vulnerability reminding readers that pain exists universally but offers a poignant message that miracles can emerge from life’s most challenging circumstances.

Rating System:

0 – aka The Susan – wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy. (Susan is special – no one else has a rating named after them!!)

1 – put your money back in the piggy bank

2 – borrow, don’t buy

3 – good beach read

4 – borders on your favorite read ever

5 – order now, include in your will

Bookers had mixed reviews on this selection, but no one (thankfully) rated it a zero, although one wished she had put her money back in the piggy bank as it wasn’t her cup of tea and didn’t have any con men in the plot. (LOL) One rated it as 2 as she had not had a chance to read the book and literally borrowed it at the meeting and our lone 3 thought it dragged a bit. One Booker called in her assessment as she couldn’t be at the meeting saying she would rate it 4.5 as she loved it. The other 4 rating was because of its predictability. Our five fives have contacted their attorneys to add it to their assets…emotional depth, relatable and well-developed characters, the story both heartbreaking and heartwarming – one Booker even saying she and her husband were reading it at the same time and although outside of his preferred genre, he also loved it…so we can officially count him as number six in the five category.

Discussion:

Character Profiles:

Simple moments turned profound amidst tragedy as the author wrote each character with a degree of pain and healing experienced through love and loss but with miracles threaded through each of their lives. His goal was for readers to walk away with a renewed appreciation for the fragility of life.

Jonathan “Reese” Mitchell is one of the most talented heart surgeons in the world – his desire beginning with his love for Emma, his childhood best friend and eventual wife but because he couldn’t save her life, he disappeared from the medical world, living like a recluse, with only his blind brother-in-law, Charlie, knowing his real identity and he was never bitter about Reese’s inability to save his sister. Young Annie displays wisdom and optimism beyond her years and despite her dire medical condition, she’s a beacon of light for those around her. Jane Shaw was impressed with the child’s attitude citing a personal knowledge of another young girl who underwent several heart transplants, and she was always upbeat and hopeful much like Annie’s character. Aunt Cindy has sole responsibility for her niece’s welfare, struggling both emotionally and financially as she faces the severity of Annie’s medical condition. Minor characters, Davis, “the Monk” who owns the local bar and Termite, the young drifter both add another layer of faith, companionship, and redemption to the plot. We talked about how odd and humorous it was that a cardiologist ate greasy cheeseburgers every day…couldn’t you just sense his arteries clogging…and by the way if you are up for that type of experience daily there is a food truck in the back parking lot of Grooms that will help you on your artery journey!

As we know, a Kirkus Review is seen as the gold standard. “Deep schmaltz in the Bible Belt” To a few it was overly emotional in certain scenes, as the Kirkus reviewer commented.

We talked about the moments in the book that moved us and/or provoked a strong reaction. “Time of death 11:11 p.m.” won in many of our hearts and I thought I might need the paddles to restart my own heart. Reese’s agonizing reaction looking at Annie “laying still, her chest a cold, open wound holding a lifeless heart.” All his pent-up emotion, his guilt, and the “muffled pain” surrounding Emma’s death resurfaced realizing there “were some sins which he would never quit paying.”

Then three pages later – six weeks passed and we can all breathe again with a happy-ever-after ending that we were rooting for!

Reese always wore Emma’s engraved medallion around his neck and in the end, he put it around Annie’s neck, resting just above her scar. The message, “Above all else, guard your heart…for it is the wellspring of life” was the underlying theme and message of the book.

Crickets take center stage in the novel often seen as symbols of good luck and prosperity, their chirping seen as a positive omen in many cultures. In literary contexts, they can represent a moral compass or an inner voice. As in Disney’s adaptation of Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket is appointed to guide the wooden puppet on his journey to becoming a real boy. Crickets and their persistent chirping in nighttime settings can evoke serenity, reflections or nostalgia but they can also foreshadow mystery or suspense…but their quiet presence draws attention to small details, inner reflections, or external forces beyond the character’s control as witnessed in Chapter 25 when Annie explains why crickets cry.

Last month we shared “horse stories” and this month I’ve also got a cricket story. For some unknown reason I have a fear of any kind of hopping bug….grasshoppers and crickets terrify me. We were at a high school football game when a black cloud of swarming crickets hovered overhead. I nearly had a heart attack until we could get home. Later in the week we arrived at the parking lot of our Tom Thumb and the entire building looked like it was painted black. The noise was deafening. Did I get out of the car. Absolutely not!  

We talked about the significance of the lemonade stand in the story, and what might it symbolize regarding Annie’s character or her situation, and she also wore a yellow dress and bow in her hair? In literature, lemonade and lemons symbolize resilience, transformation, and the duality of life, representing both sweetness and bitterness. The phrase when life gives you lemons, make lemonade illustrates transforming challenges into opportunities. The inclusion of the yellow dress and Annie’s lemonade stand served a dual purpose and was a deliberate touch by an astute author.

The heart, both physically and metaphorically plays a central role. Reese tells Termite that without the heart, nothing else matters. Love is not a tool, neither is a woman’s heart…without that she’ll mean little more to you than the remote control for the television.” “The heart derives no benefit from the blood it pumps making it the most unselfish of organs…it is also the most courageous and faithful.”

The ending:

It centers on healing, redemption, and the transformative power of love and forgiveness. Reese reveals his true identity to Annie performing a successful heart transplant – both literal and emotional healing…reconciling with his guilt and opening the door for a relationship with Cindy. Charlie forgives him; Annie’s survival serves as a metaphor for renewal, showing even in the face of tragedy, love and compassion can restore broken lives. Readers are left with a sense of closure and optimism – the overall message, hope, forgiveness, and love are capable of healing even the deepest wounds as Reese and Annie are facing a future with courage and an unbreakable bond.

Happy Reading,

JoDee