The Rockin' Chair ~ Steven Manchester

The Rockin' Chair by Steven Manchester
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every once in a while I like have a change of pace in my reading. I tend to dwell in the land of fantasy more often then not so I try to add a healthy dose of emotional reality here and there. The Rockin' Chair was just that kind of novel.

Summary:

Memories are the ultimate contradiction. They can warm us on our coldest days – or they can freeze a loved one out of our lives forever. The McCarthy family has a trove of warm memories. Of innocent first kisses. Of sumptuous family meals. Of wondrous lessons learned at the foot of a rocking chair. But they also have had their share of icy ones. Of words that can never be unsaid. Of choices that can never be unmade. Of actions that can never be undone.

Following the death of his beloved wife, John McCarthy – Grandpa John – calls his family back home. It is time for them to face the memories they have made, both warm and cold. Only then can they move beyond them and into the future.

A rich portrait of a family at a crossroad, THE ROCKIN' CHAIR is Steven Manchester’s most heartfelt and emotionally engaging novel to date. If family matters to you, it is a story you must read.

My Take:

Steven Manchester really knows how to take his readers on an emotional roller coaster. Another heart wrenching, amazing novel, which makes the reader think about their own lives not just the lives of his characters. I think that is one of the beauties of Manchester's novels. His characters are relatable and understandable. It seems with each novel I read I have the ability to recognize similarities in the characters as well as some of the situations with my own life.  Having recently lost my Grandfather to  Alzheimer's  I truly understand the range of emotions a family has to deal with both in saying goodbye and trying to heal. Any family who suffers a great loss suddenly finds themselves thrown together and forced to face the past as well as the future. To craft a story that stays with the reader is truly a gift but to craft one that feels so true is an amazing feat!