Shelter Me

It's that time again, boys and girls, for another book to share.  To be fair, I've read quite a few since the last one I shared, but none have really struck me as awesome.

But, Shelter Me by Juliette Fay seems to fit the bill as one some of you might enjoy.  The reader reviews over at Amazon give it four and a half stars out of five.  So it seems that I'm not the only one who has enjoyed this author's first (but surely not the last) novel.

This is the story of a young widow, with two very small children, and it follows her life through nearly a year after losing her husband.

The tale picks up about four months after her husband dies when she is stunned to discover that her husband had a final gift for her; a porch that he had contracted to be done before he was killed in an accident.  This porch, which she reluctantly allows to go forth begins to open her back up to life.  The life she has been hiding from since the accident.

This is a rich and complex story.  One that will have you spending every waking moment possible reading it; as my family can certainly attest as they were ignored for hours on end yesterday and again this morning as I couldn't wait to finish this book - which totally explains the random tweet that went out early this afternoon about it being time to get dressed and start the day.  Yes, the book was that engrossing.  I couldn't stop to even get dressed or think about doing anything else until I finished it.

This book is a look into how our lives intersect with those who surround us and how, sometimes even people we think we don't like or have nothing in common with are the very ones who might save us from ourselves.

This tale also serves as a reminder that no matter what, we can't get through the dark times alone - and that even if we don't reach out and ask for help our loved ones will surely be there to guide us back out into the light.

As an added bonus, the author gives a few recipes at the end of the book for some Pology cakes; which are mentioned throughout the book and which are defined as follows (text taken directly from the book and on Juliette Fay's website here, with permission):

"No single apology could ever fit the countless circumstances in which we humans seem to find ourselves hurting each other. In fact, the words themselves don’t often seem to matter so much as the sincerity of delivery, and conveying the trueness of our feelings is as individual as our thumbprints. Accordingly, no one recipe for Pology Cake could ever suit every situation. It is incumbent upon the Pologizer to determine what kind of baked good best communicates the message. So, bake responsibly, but more importantly, bake sincerely."

I love the idea of Pology Cakes!  As you can imagine, the heroine of this story is justifiably angry and, as a result, has to deliver a few Pology Cakes of her own.  The recipes that Juliette Fay shares look very yummy and I will definitely be trying a few myself...hopefully just for the yummy-ness and not as an apology.

So if you are looking for a really good book, then go find this one.  Also keep an eye out for her next one, Deep Down True, which according to the website should be on the shelves now.  I know I'll be looking for it.