This is the last book review for 2010. It’s been a very fruitful year for our book reviews as staff members at Parramatta City Library have enjoyed a year of reading and sharing. This last book, again, read and reviewed by Sarah.
Next year Parramatta City Libraries will participate NSW state wide online reading challenge – #readit2011. A new reading club – a theme club, in conjuntion with this reading challenge has been calling for expression of interest at Parramatta Libraries. It will start its first meeting in Feb and will run on the last Saturday of every month at Parramatta Library. Bookmarks on both fiction and non fiction will be produced every month to recommend titles for the reading challenge.
You can join the new reading club, follow us on this blog as well as twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/parralibrary) to get book reviews and recommend readings.
Well, happy 2011 and enjoy reading. Here is Sarah’s pick
Author: Anita Shreve
Title:
Peter Webster is a 21 year old trainee paramedic. One night he pulls a drunken woman, Sheila, from a car crash. He is drawn to her and despite knowing he shouldn’t get involved with a patient he goes to see her in hospital and continues to see her after she is discharged. He falls in love with her. Sheila sees Webster as a link to a more normal life. Soon they are married with a young daughter, Rowan. Webster hopes the child will help Sheila turn her life around. But eventually Sheila’s rough past and her drinking problem catch up with her. She has another car crash while drunk- this time with Rowan in the car. Sheila is sent away and Webster is left to raise his daughter on his own.
15 years later, when Rowan is in her final year at school Webster senses she is troubled. Her marks are slipping, she is moody and drinking. He worries for her future. As a paramedic he sees daily how dangerous the world can be, and he knows how your life can change in a second. Webster’s fear for his daughter makes him search for Sheila. She comes back into Rowan’s life but is it the right time or will it cause more damage?
The title refers both to Webster’s job and his attempts to rescue the women in his life. But Rowan is now in a situation that even her father cannot save her from.