Sunday, September 7, 2014

This road will take you closer to the moon

I just love Linda McCullough Moore's writing and her book of short stories, "This Road Will Take You Closer To The Moon" is a gem. The title story describes a Thanksgiving back at home with her mother 20 years after her father has died with her three siblings and nieces and nephews. She describes the typical regression to sibling dynamics of their youth and the interaction with her nieces and nephews one of which, Molly, asks the narrator, Aunt Margaret, to turn a few times returning from the Thanksgiving buffet the whole family has attended which Aunt Margaret obligingly does as little Molly explains the reason for the request as "this road will take us closer to the moon."

The story is one of nostalgia and it is told with dark humor which I love. If there is a moral to the story it is that life, with its better and worse moments, is precious. You either laugh or cry. And I, the reader, does as I benefit from the story of Aunt Margaret's family visit at Thanksgiving.

3 comments:

  1. What does it have to do with Unitarian Universalism? You're slipping man.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Adam:

    It has to do with the inherent worth and dignity of every person and justice equity and compassion in human relations. It's a very good story. If you read it let me know what you think.

    Sincerely,

    David Markham

    ReplyDelete
  3. I read the story and it is wonderful. There is the interplay of her interactions with her family over the Thanksgiving weekend and the new contacts with a Match.com friend. I like the dialogue where:

    "Hey it's me," I say. We've moved from Match.com to this is one day.
    "Hey, how are you? I called you earlier. Your mother answered. She called me 'sir.' I don't think she likes me."
    At least he's not stupid.
    "Say, could you call me tomorrow night on my cell?" he says. "I'm driving to a party then, and we could talk on the way. I told my friends I'd met somebody. They all want to meet you."
    "Don't YOU want to meet me first?"

    ReplyDelete

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