Of Things Gone Astray

A unique book deserving of 5 stars

I'm finding myself suspicious of 5-star reviews anymore, but I really feel this book deserved it. I initially gave it 4-stars after finishing, and I thought it was a really good, well-written, entertaining story then, but since, I have thought of it so many times and reflected on the descriptions of how people deal with loss and upheaval in their lives, that I have to go back and amend to 5 stars. I don't want to re-hash the book description, but generally speaking the book is about a number of individuals in a community who in various ways abruptly "lose" something which means so much to them that, for some, in their own minds it even defines them as a person. In subtle ways each of these people crosses paths, but that is not a big aspect of the story. It's really about showing how each of these individuals, when struck with a same/similar malady of loss, copes and deals with their situation. That doesn't mean its a depressing book at all - it does this with a great voice, a sweet sense of humor, and rich characterizations. Initially after reading it I thought that not all of the characters got wrapped up at the end, but after reflection (not that I meant to do it, but the book just continued to come back to me for days) I realized that actually they all did - that they each represented a different, and wholly natural, response (even if that response was not to respond at all), and that each one chose the path they took. I admit that I happened upon this book at a time of unwanted change in my life, which seemed a very odd coincidence at the time, but I am so very glad I did. I'd like to underline that I don't mean to say that this book is life-changing, or a self-help book, or intending to be anything deep and meaningful. I only mean that I found the right story at the right time, albeit one that I think most people at some point in their lives can relate to. And for me, I appreciated the mental kick-in-the-butt and reminder that I, also, had a choice. Book clu...