Sometimes finding a good audio book to listen to is difficult,
so I'm sharing a couple audio books in case any of you have the same problem. "See
Me" is by Nicholas Sparks, whom some of you may know as a writer of love
stories. I've listened to a number of
his books - some better than others. "See
Me" is his newest book - it came out last summer - and I'm telling you all
about it because it touches on so many relevant issues, but is also very good
story telling. I think it's one of his
best.
It's a combo love story/suspense story. He touches on sexual harassment in the
workplace, mental illness, stalking, immigrants, and sexual orientation. That may sound like a lot, but it ends up - I
think - working well. To my mind, there
are many issues that real people deal with in their lives, so I like a book
that deals with a number of issues - for me, it made it more interesting. That said, none of this is heavy handed. "See Me" is an enjoyable,
engrossing story, I came to care about the characters, and it definitely got me
out of my own life. The core message of
the book, I felt, was not just love, but friendship, loyalty, and having someone
else's back.
"Me Before You" is a very different book from
"See Me." Jojo Moyes found out
about a 23 year old young man who was a rugby player, became a quadriplegic as
a result of a rugby related accident, and couldn't get him out of her head. There are a number of articles about him
online, if you want to know his story. So
Moyes created a story based on the real life 23 year old. She fleshes out her narrative with a love
story, and various complications in the lives of the central characters. But the main thrust of the story is about
Will - the quad in her story - whose parents hire a caregiver named
Louisa. Will is a 35 year old who had an
extraordinarily successful, full life prior to being injured.
There is a movie - which I've seen - based on the
book. The movie does a pretty good job,
and actually some of the more tangential relationships are less fleshed out in
the movie, which is better. However,
there's a lot to the book that makes it worth reading - or in my case listening
to - as opposed to only taking in the movie.
There are some very serious quality of life issues which this book
confronts - issues that I think many shy away from in real life.
Moyes did her homework; she does a good job of laying out
the various complications a quad deals with.
I learned a great deal. Again,
some of this comes through in the movie, but far more is in the book. MBY also
made me think about my own situation. My
limitations, the changes in my life after I got sick, issues of dependence vs.
independence, and quite simply what makes life worthwhile for each of us as an
individual. None of these answers are
the same for anyone.
MBY ended up being a somewhat heavier, more intense book
than I'd anticipated, but I didn't find it depressing. I think the overall message is one of
hopefulness, the impact someone can have in your life, and choices.
If any of you have a book recommendation, please comment
and let us all know - thanks!
