Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Friday, December 20, 2013

Friend Friday #22...

Hi!  I’m Vic and I’m reading the book called We are Water written by Wally Lamb.

This book is another hit by Wally Lamb.  I have been a fan of Wally Lamb since I first read I know This Much Is True fifteen years ago.  In We Are Water, Wally doesn’t let you down.  Once again Wally welcomes you into the hearts of his characters, lets you feel their struggles, and in the end, you are left once again feeling satisfied.

To pick one part of this book and claim it as my “favorite” is hard, but I am going with the ending.  This is a big step for me, because as Patrick knows, I am never satisfied with the ending of the books we read.  To many times I am left feeling let down or it seems that the ending is rushed, but in We Are Water, I was left with a sense of peace.  

Through his words, Wally introduces you to a family that struggles with hidden abuse, self-doubt, and failure.  For 555 pages he shares this tale of a broken family fighting to find out who they really and in the end he simply gives you “peace”.  

There you are standing on the beach with Orion and Andrew.  Andrew has just come out of the water and his dad, Orion, asks him about his tattoo. Andrew explains that he purchased it before he left the military.  It means ‘love wins”.  At that moment I, as a reader, felt “peace”.  From page one until the end you were pulled through this families struggles and hardship.  You along with them were fighting to find peace and as the sun starts to set and you watch father and son walk into the ocean one last time, you get the feeling that for the first time in a long time the Oh family are left with a sense of peace.

When asked why Wally Lamb wrote this book, I would have to say to help us realize the lasting effect of our actions.

I simply would recommend this to anyone that loves a great read!

*Vic is a colleague, a friend, and a member of the BBC (Boy's Book Club).
*We have spent years sharing book titles, book conversations, and a love for reading.
*Wally Lamb is a favorite for both of us so I was thrilled when Vic agreed to write for my Friend Friday post.


No comments:

Post a Comment