Chapter 35 - The Chinese Curse

There is an old saying which has often been said to be a Chinese curse - "May you live in interesting times." Although never proven to come from the Chinese, the only attribution I could find was that of an English lord in the 1930's. It sure seems like it has been our lives this year. We took off a few weeks back to parlay a business trip to Boston into a weekend to see our oldest daughter and her family in New Hampshire. Both of our granddaughters in this family are fierce soccer players and the older of the two is also the place kicker for her high school football team. So the plan was to watch JV and Varsity soccer games on Thursday, football on Friday, and spend the day enjoying their company on Saturday, leaving on Sunday.

Well some of this materialized but our daughter called on Tuesday to let us know her husband had been sick since Sunday, maybe Covid but didn't know. On Thursday, she told us the oldest daughter went home from school early as she wasn't feeling good but the younger one was still playing soccer. As it turned out we did watch both girls on Thursday as well the oldest granddaughter on Friday but declined staying at their house - just in case. So Saturday found us footloose and fancy free so we took advantage of the time to enjoy New Hampshire and Massachusetts on our own.

This summer/fall we have felt a little like Gumby and Pokey so it did get me to thinking about books where the main character has to be flexible because plans or circumstances change abruptly. Here are some books with that theme.

Change of Plans by Dylan Newton - In this cute little rom-com, a chef, Bryce, becomes the guardian of her three nieces who have had tragedy strike their young lives. Addison, 5, won't remove her fairy wings, Cecily, 8, refuses to bathe, and June is a obnoxious tweenager. Bryce is dealing with this chaos along with a new job and doesn't need to complicate her life with a man. Or does she? The book is a fun debut novel.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver - I've always enjoyed Josie Silver books and this is another one to add to your TBR pile. After the love of Lydia's life, Freddie, dies in a car accident she tries to move on with the support of Freddie's best friend, Jonah, and her sister, Elle. Just when it looks like she is coming out on the other side, she is drawn back to a past where Freddie is still alive. As Lydia starts living two lives, she does not know exactly which one she wants.

Someday, Maybe by Onyl Nwabinelli - Eve is a young widow grieving her husband's death and dealing with the guilt, anger, and hurt that comes from it. Not only is she dealing with her own feelings but also the disappointments of her tight-knit Nigerian family as well as the judgement of her mother-in-law and others. I read this on a recent trip and the writing was amazing.

Goodbye, Paris by Anstey Harris - Grace runs a violin shop and has romantic interludes in Paris with her partner of 8 years, David, who promises he will leave his wife as soon as the children are grown. Suddenly Grace's life turns upside down suddenly as a very big secret is revealed. An older gentleman and a teenager help her to see that maybe things will work out for the best.

The Intermission by Elyssa Friedland - After 5 years of marriage, Cass seems to have lost herself. Her husband sees their ups and downs as just part of marriage. Cass is convinced she needs a break and shocks her husband Jonathan by proposing a 6 month hiatus to see if this is the relationship they both want. So is this the break they need or have they gone too far?

Can you suggest books where things don't go exactly as planned? Let me know.