Accessible World

Books change. Authors we have come to know and love stop writing leaving us wondering
how we will fill the space their books used to occupy. If you feel this way, I think
the debut novel, Souvenir, by Therese Fowler will allay any concerns you may have.
Meg Powell and Carson McKay grew up on neighboring farms. The love they feel is the
forever kind no one can tear apart. Happily making plans for a future they are certain
will be theirs, knowing their love will bring joy and outlast any sorrows dealt by
the deck of cards that is life, their days are filled with dreams all lovers share.

Heart of The Matter, Emily Giffin's new novel will be the topic of conversation at
our romance discussion on Friday July 16. A new marriage begins with hope and promise.
Nick and Tessa Russo began theirs trusting that the commitment made to each other
on that happy day would last a lifetime. Wrapped up in dreams and plans for their
future, they entered marriage believing all would be possible with love and trust
as their guide. Prepared for the usual peaks and valleys of learning to live together,
Nick and Tessa Russo learn firsthand the toll life and change take on marriage.

Loved since first published, The Little House On The Prairie books, written by Laura
Ingalls Wilder, have been beloved by children for generations. Just last week a grandmother
spoke eagerly with me about the search she and her daughter-in-law had undertaken
to find all nine of the Little House books for a granddaughter and daughter. Why
are these books still so popular with adults and children alike? In a time when families
worked very hard just for food and shelter, Laura Ingalls Wilder became a phenomenon

Danielle Steel's most recent novel, Big Girl, will be our subject during the romance
discussion on June 18.
A novel about how others help form our view of self, Big Girl is about obesity. How
is one's view of oneself affected by criticism by family? How important is it to
look good? What affect does ridicule of personal appearance have on relationships?
Is it possible to live successfully if you have been told you are ugly or unattractive?
Where can comfort be found if your family does not love you in the way you hope for

Alice Howland has what would be considered a fabulous life. Her world is filled with the concerns and problems of family and career and a husband and children who love her. She has a fine intellect in which she takes great pride.

Dear John, a beautiful novel authored by Nicholas Sparks will be the subject of our
next meeting in the romance discussion group.
John Tyree has grown up detached from substantial relationships. His mother left
when he was less than a year old. his father is unlike him in every way. It is only
as the novel unfolds that John learns just how true this is. Always on the move,
active in sports and surfing, John's only desire is to get through the days without
making any serious or long-term commitment to anything or anyone.

It is said when it comes to matters of the heart that in love all things are possible. How likely is it for two people from extremely different backgrounds to find love and stay together in a lasting relationship? How difficult is it for a man who takes pride in a hard day's work to accept that his wife is a millionaire many times over? That is the troubling scenario of Eva Rutland's Million Dollar Marriage, just one of her Whirlwind Wedding novels. Is acceptance of a spouse's wealth a kindness or obligation as a part of marriage itself?

romance discussion featuring author Joan Wester Anderson. Often called
the angel lady, she has been writing books about them for many years. Why does she
believe they exist? Have they ever helped her through a difficult time? What type
of help do they give to those who truly believe? Is it possible for them to come
to those who don't think they exist?
Joan Wester Anderson believes in them and that they truly change lives profoundly.
Author of the Where Angels Walk column, she will tell us stories of angels who have
made a difference.

During our next meeting of the romance discussion group, we will discuss one of the loveliest novels written by Luanne Rice. Eventually turned in to a television movie for Hallmark, Follow The Stars Home takes us in to the life of a single mother and her disabled daughter, Julia. Like most mothers, Dianne Robbins can’t wait for the birth of her first child. In love with handsome Tim McIntosh, her life is filled with the hopes and dreams all mothers share.

We will be discussing Sentimental Journey a novel of the life of a young woman's
experiences on the home front during World War II. What impactdoes war have on those
left behind? When the war is over, how do young women return to life as it was before?
Is it possible to find new challenges? How does a woman deal with the losses war
inevitably brings?

Below is a short summary of Sentimental Journey. Join us for a discussion of the impact of war on life and love. Sentimental Journey can be found on bookshare.org.
THE YEAR IS 1943