PS I Love You

A first novel by Cecilia Ahern.  Setting Ireland.  Holly and Gerry were sweethearts in school and later married.  They were happy and in love until one day Gerry had an awful headache and at Holly's insistence went to the doctor.  He had a tumour and it was terminal.  Sick as he was, he secretly went about arranging things that he knew would help Holly through her grieving. 

After his death Holly received a call from her mother to let her know she had a package for her.  Though she did not want to go out and preferred to spend her days in bed, in mourning, Holly gathered the strength to do just that.  That decision changed the course her life was taking.

In the package were instructions from Gerry.  One envelope for each of ten months.  As Holly opened each one, she took upon herself new projects, a vacation, karaoke night, and more because she knew by doing so she was keeping a bit of Gerry with her.  Each instruction ended:  PS I Love You. 

Incredible it was, for Gerry to do something so selfless for Holly.  Knowing that in doing so he would help her to live again.  The sacrifice he made for her to accomplish these tasks speaks of pure love.  A love so selfless it brings one to tears! 

PS I Love You is a good read when armed with a box of tissues.  Love does live on and in allowing it to, it helps those left behind to continue on, savouring the memories, embracing the present and the future of tomorrow.

Julie & Julia (The Julie/Julia Project)

I recently happened upon a paperback copy of Julie Powell's book Julie & Julia and just had to purchase it!  I am so enchanted with the movie that this was an opportunity I could not pass up at 25% off the cover price!  I am finding it a fast, irresistable read and within a few short hours am already half-way through.

This is a story of a young married woman in Long Island City New York, a government worker by day, and Julia Child protege by night.  She has taken on the challenge of creating all 500 + recipes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 365 days.  Sometimes daunting, always entertaining, this task is shared daily in her blog.  Will she maintain her sanity and her marriage through this, the reader wonders.  How many times have you tackled a new recipe for company, like an aspic per se, and it didn't gel?  Not that I have any desire to try an aspic, a dish of congealed matter with bits of meat suspended within.  Does that sound appetizing to you?  Particularly when you know that the gelatin can be found within the cartilage or made from a meat stock.  At any rate, she is nonplussed in her efforts to accomplish the most daunting of culinary tasks, providing the reader with a highly entertaining feast.

Written somewhat with abondon, Julie & Julia is funny, feisty, and definitely original.  Several  book reviews make a reference to the language within.  May I say it is at times colorful and perverse.  Consider yourself warned.  If this doesn't faze you, you will thoroughly enjoy the read.

Julie Powell is enigmatic!  Her example welcomed me to the world of blogging!