The View from my Window

Book Reading - Before and After by Rosellen Brown

General Comment:As mentioned earlier on my April 19 2007 post, I have embarked on writing a few words on all the books that I may read in my retirement. I will reread few books which I read over last few years - this to allow me to capture some good essence from the readings.

The recent book I have completed reading is a book by Rosellen Brown titled Before and After. This book is paperback (some 420 pages long).

This book is about small town American family - wife, Carolyn Reiser is a medical doctor and her husband, Ben is a sculptor who stays home raising two children. The son - Jacob (17 years old) and the daughter -Judith is younger sister.  A lovely home , every thing is going right but one day the door bell rings with the Police Commissioner at the door. He brings the news of shattering crime of killing of a young girl - the suspect being their son- Jacob. The whole life of each member of the family turns upside down.

The family goes thru trauma of keeping their love of their son intact but also to be aware of pain of the deceased girl’s parent.  The book makes the reader aware that one event can change everything - the family has to confront the society - lose friends , fight the legal battles for the acquittal of the son who admits killing the girl but unintentionally. There is a fine line betweeen guilt and innocence.

This is another book I discovered on an obscure shelf in my office room. These are my son’s books who became avid reader of books when in middle and high schools. So now I am joyful to discover these books and enjoying reading them