The Balcony by Jane Delury

THE BALCONY by Jane Delury is a novel in stories. The centerpiece is a manor house in near Paris which provides the background for over a hundred years of events, primarily in the life of one family.  Debut author Delury has chosen to not tell the story in chronological order, rather inviting her readers to make connections as the chapters flit from 1992 to 1890 back to 1980 and so on. The characters include Henri, a Resistance Fighter, his troubled sons named Guy and Jacques, two grandsons and a great-grand-daughter, appearing at different stages in their lives as well as a young au pair who is attracted to her employer, an alcoholic academic. Somehow, there’s quite a sense of foreboding and melancholy throughout these well-written stories. Personally, I would have preferred a few more happy memories for the deftly developed characters. THE BALCONY by Jane Delury received a starred review from Kirkus.

Everyday Gratitude

EVERYDAY GRATITUDE with a foreword by Kristi Nelson is subtitled “Inspiration for Living  Life as a Gift” and serves as a wonderful “bookend” with which to end Spring Break and celebrate Easter Sunday. The pages are very colorful and filled with memorable, yet humbling quotes.  Here is a small sprinkling:

• Desmond Tutu: Do your little bit of good where you are. It’s those little bits of good that overwhelm the world.
• Fred Rogers: How many times have you noticed it’s the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning?
• Aesop: No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
• Alice Walker: It’s wise to accept that human faults are inevitable.  Factor that in and keep going.
• Randy Pausch: Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.

These and many other quotes are interspersed with short exercises designed to encourage the practice of gratefulness.  EVERYDAY GRATITUDE is a truly beautiful book, both in its appearance and inspirational content.