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    Our Short History: A Novel
    Our Short History: A Novel
    Our Short History: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Our Short History: A Novel

    Written by Lauren Grodstein

    Narrated by Karen White

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Karen Neulander, a successful New York political consultant, has always been fiercely protective of her son, Jacob, now six. She's had to be: when Jacob's father, Dave, found out Karen was pregnant and made it clear that fatherhood wasn't in his plans, Karen walked out of the relationship, never telling Dave her intention was to raise their child alone.

    But now Jake is asking to meet his dad, and with good reason: Karen is dying. Worried that he'll break Jake's heart, Karen finally makes the call, and is shocked to find Dave ecstatic about the news. First, he can't meet Jake fast enough, and then, he can't seem to leave him alone. As she tries to play out her last days in the "right" way, Karen struggles with knowing that the only thing she cannot bring herself to do for her son-let his father become a permanent part of his life-is the thing he needs from her the most.

    With heart-wrenching poignancy, unexpected wit, and mordant humor, Lauren Grodstein has created an unforgettable story about parenthood, sacrifice, and life itself.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHighbridge Company
    Release dateMar 21, 2017
    ISBN9781681684444
    Our Short History: A Novel
    Author

    Lauren Grodstein

    Lauren Grodstein is the author of the collection The Best of Animals and a novel, Reproduction Is the Flaw of Love, which was both a Breakout Book selection for Amazon.com and a Borders Original Voices pick. Her work has been translated into German, Italian and French. She teaches creative writing at Rutgers University in Camden.

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    Reviews for Our Short History

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    • 4/5
      If Karen Neulander weren't dying, she would be a hard character to like. The narrator of Lauren Grodstein's new novel, "Our Short History," is a political consultant whose specialties are playing dirty tricks on other candidates and whitewashing the scandals in which her own candidates are caught. She once disclosed that a candidate's 16-year-old daughter had had an abortion, although the candidate himself was pro-life. Meanwhile, she admits that her current candidate is "one of the least trustworthy people I'd ever met." But his politics are right.Now Karen has terminal cancer and is given maybe just a couple of years to live. She is the single mother of Jake, a six-year-old boy, and this novel takes the form of her statement of love, advice and family history to be read by Jake when he turns 18.The complication for Karen, as if her life hadn't become complicated enough, is that Jake wants to meet his father. Dave, the love of Karen's life, had disappeared after she had become pregnant. Now he is a New York lawyer and married. When she contacts him, she is shocked by how much Jake likes him and by how much Dave's attitude toward children has changed. Now he wants to become involved in Jake's life, and this frightens Karen, who had already made plans for Jake to be cared for by her sister in the state of Washington. Will Dave, a lawyer after all, try to gain custody of his son? Can she, a dying woman, do anything to prevent that? And, considering the growing relationship between father and son, should she even try?Karen's many imperfections add depth to Grodstein's novel that wouldn't exist if the protagonist were a goody-goody woman. Even Jake is not a perfect little boy. He is clearly spoiled, demanding and given to tantrums to get his way. As for Dave, he buys Jake too many presents and allows him to watch the wrong king of movie, yet he still comes across as too good to be true -- handsome, wealthy, well-meaning and totally reformed in his attitudes toward family. His near-perfection makes Karen's dilemma all the more difficult. She let this guy get away, now she can't keep him away.A key passage in the novel comes when Karen goes to meet her candidate's political foe, a woman who has herself struggled with cancer. She discovers that the person she is trying to destroy is a wonderful woman, much more decent than her own candidate or, for that matter, Karen herself. This meeting, more than anything, changes Karen and guides her in the choices she must make.
    • 5/5
      This story is about a single mother with a young boy whose father has never been in his life and doesn't even know he's alive. Karen is dying from cancer and when her son wants to meet his father, she has to decide whether to let him into their lives. It is a devastating story, but written honestly and with a sense of humor as well. I was impressed with the authenticity of it and had tears in my eyes at the end. I rarely give a book 5 stars, but this one deserves it. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      I'll write a review when I stop weeping.

      Okay, I'm back.
      I truly loved this book, which says a lot when the subject matter is sad and leaves you a bit devastated. However, every word of this resonated with me, connected me with, made sense to me. I loved the characters, laughed at the wit, felt all the emotions. Holding it close to my chest and wishing it weren't over yet.
    • 4/5
      You can read the basic plot outline of this book by the title on Goodreads or on Amazon.Karen Neulander is the most honestly flawed character in a book that I have read in avery long time. At times I really wanted to smack her like "snap out of it" but I have neverbeen a cancer patient faced with mortality at what is to me now a very young age. I completely understand her anger toward her six year old son's Dad who she allows to come into their liveswhen she starts a manuscript that is her written legacy to her son.When she told this man she was in love with that she was pregnant he said with great emphasis thathe never wanted to have kids. Karen stormed out of his apartment and life for seven years.Most woman in this situation would not be in the position financially or energy wise to take onsolo parenthood. But then that is a very ordinary story.................not the stuff of novels.
    • 4/5
      Its always been Karen and Jake, mother and son, and Karen has made that work in wonderful ways for the two. Jake's interest in learning about his Dad is presenting itself at a particularly vulnerable time: Karen is dying and must face life openly. The loss of control that all parents experience as children grow is heightened by a speed and force that is out of Karen's control. A formerly disinterested Dad is no more, as middle age and circumstance have altered Dave, who Karen was convinced wanted nothing to do with being a parent.Every parent knows their time with their children is too short, no child every understands this. Karen, Jake and Dave bring the struggle of sharing and letting go that is necessary for all families, but is devastating clear to those with only a short history.
    • 4/5
      *I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*I'll forewarn you, this book can be downright heartbreaking. Told from the perspective of a mother dying of cancer, this is the tale of a mother introducing her six-year-old son to his father, the man who left during her pregnancy years before. It's a predictable story, but well-told and equal parts heartbreaking and touching. If you're after a sad but good book, this one is for you.
    • 5/5
      This book was lovely. Although Karen is dying of ovarian cancer, she continues to be a mother, sister, daughter, a savvy political consultant- and most of all she carries on living in the world even though she knows she is not long for it. The "advice" book she is writing for her son Jacob felt like she was hiding nothing from him- not her pain (both physical and emotional) and her hopes and dreams for him. When he requests to meet his never involved father, Karen is incredibly resistant. I think it is her first glimpse into future where there will be huge parts of Jacob's life in which she will have no involvement. As someone who's father died when I was 5, books like this and Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air give me a window into what it may have been like when my own father was confronting terminal cancer. What I wouldn't give to have an idea of what my father was going through as he faced his own death and the fact that he was leaving his young family behind. I recommend this book highly.
    • 4/5
      The sad reality of this novel is that Karen, the narrator, is going to die of cervical cancer. She has a son, Jacob, who wants to meet his father, Dave. Dave and Karen never married and he did not want children. When Karen discovered she was pregnant, the relationship ended. Jacob (Jake) is six when he finally meets his father and it is pretty much love at first sight. Lauren Grodstein writes beautifully about Karen's fears for Jacob's future and her pain at having to leave him. My only criticism of this book is the framework of the book. It is written as a letter to Jake. I didn't care for that device to get at the story. But that aside, this was an excellent book.
    • 5/5
      Title: Our Short HistoryAuthor: Lauren Grodstein Publisher: Algonquin BooksReviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FiveReview:"Our Short History" by Lauren GrodsteinMy Thoughts...."Our Short History" really deals with a subject that is somewhat hard to talk about...dying. This author does a very good job in presenting this mesmerizing, hear wrenching told story. What will a mother do when she finds out that she doesn't have long to live [fighting stage IV ovarian cancer] and she has a son who was just six year old. Karen writes a book for her son who was just six year old to be read by his older self. This was definitely one of those 'tearjerker' reads.What will happen when Jake ask hims mother to find his dad? Now Jake wants to meet his father which presents problems for the mother, Karen. What will she do because there is a history that did not turn out well between Karen and Jake's father? Will her sister still be able to take care of Jake as it had been planned now that the father has come into the picture. This is a very emotional read that will give the reader quite one complicated relationships with all of these characters: from Karen, Jake, Jake's father [Dave] and Karen's sister. Now, I did say that this is sad story however, do be ready for a little humor at times, very absorbing and so memorable and even thought provoking in this mother-son relationship.This author really gives the reader one beautifully well written story that is so very raw as her son 'resonates and Karen's bravery in facing her illness is so very admirable. With that all I can say is that this story "Our Short History" was one story that I will not forget anytime soon. I will say after all that had gone with between Karen and her ex boyfriend [Dave], her illness and her life she had not chosen for herself I could definitely understand why she felt the way she did about this whole situation. In the end we see that this wasn't about the 'life Karen had given her son but the live he had given her.'
    • 5/5
      I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers program. When Karen Neulander's son Jake asks to meet his dad, Karen is da Ed with mixed emotions. She has raised her son on her own for the whole six years of his life and Jake's dad Dave doesn't know anything about Jake or even that he exists. However Karen is dying. And with one phone call to Dave she sets into motion events that she cannot change or stop.This is the story of a mother's love for her son and her wish to do what is best for him all the while dealing with her emotions as she faces her own upcoming death. I absolutely loved this story. Grodstein writes with such emotion about Karen's personal journey and takes the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions. This was probably one of my favorite reads ever and one that will stay with the reader long after that last page is turned.
    • 5/5
      According to her website, Lauren Grodstein is the author of four novels, the last of which is Our Short History. She teaches in the MFA program at Rutgers-Camden. She lives in South Jersey with her husband and a dog. After first looking at the dust jacket, I was afraid it would be depressing, or worse, boring. But something pulled me in. I think it was the book jacket which featured a silhouette of a woman holding the hand of a child. After about 20 pages, I knew I had to finish it.Karen Neulander is an experienced manager, who is running a local campaign. She is also a single mother of a precocious six-year-old. When she revealed she was pregnant, Dave, the father of the child, abandoned her. He had said, in no uncertain terms, he did not want to have any children. Fast forward 6 years. Karen has been diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. The doctors have given her, perhaps, two years. She decides to write a memoir for her son. She is smart and feisty. Karen knows what she wants and how to achieve it. Her abandonment, by a man she loved, and whom she thought loved her, all boil into resentment against Dave, and a desire to protect her son. Grodstein writes, “Allison and I frequently discuss issues of privilege and economy. She says it doesn’t mean we have to raise our kids broke just because that’s how we grew up. She thinks that insecurity about money doesn’t necessarily make a person more empathetic or kind: Sometimes it just makes a person nervous her whole life. And she’s right, I know she’s right, but still it irks me to think you’ll never understand that you are, in so many ways, so very lucky. Allison says, ‘But in at least one way you aren’t lucky at all. None of us are. And money is no compensation.’ // There is no compensation. I am your only parent; I am forty-three years old; I have stage IV ovarian cancer. I have perhaps two or three years left in my life, and once I am gone you will move here, to Mercer Island, to live with my sister, Allison, and her family. You can bring your hamster and all your toys. You can bring anything you want. You know this, Jake. You know that if it were up to me, I would live forever with you in my arms” (5). Jake begins asking questions about his father, and Karen begins preparing him for her death. Grodstein writes, “It seems to me, Jacob, that when the time comes for you to pick a life partner, you should pick someone who behaves well in a crises. It’s very easy to think you know someone – it’s very easy to think you know yourself – when life is calm and orderly, movie dates on Saturdays, chicken dinner at seven. But people become their truest selves in emergencies. Selfish people jump into the life raft first. Cowards sneak out the back door. Liars say whatever it takes to get out of trouble. Craven people walk away from what they have wrought. But good, morally sound people take responsibility for their actions and stand up for the people they care about, even if they put themselves at risk. Even if they put their own desires second. I want you to choose someone who is good and morally sound” (77-78). This sums up her relationship with Dave, while preparing Jacob for his future.Lauren Grodstein’s novel, Our Short History is a story filled with wisdom and cautions for Jacob. Despite the looming tragedy, there is humor, anger, and fears Karen wants Jacob to understand. 5 stars.--Chiron, 5/14/17
    • 3/5
      Our Short Story is the tale of a woman, Karen, who is about to die from ovarian cancer in her forties. The book is written as a first person memoir- Karen plans to leave it for her 6-year old son, Jake, to read when he's an adult. It explores her emotional journey as she not only prepares to die but also as she meets with Jake's father for the first time since their relationship ended when he made it clear he did not want a child. I found the book fascinating. Considering the topic, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I was drawn into the characters. I liked that Karen was a fully developed character, flaws and all! It was a great read for a rainy weekend!
    • 4/5
      Imagine that you’re in your late thirties and dating the love of your life when you learn that you’re pregnant. Imagine that your paramour panics as he’s never wanted to raise a family. You leave him and never look back, right? Wrong. You’re now a single mother in your early forties, you have stage four cancer, and your son asks to meet his father. This is where we find Karen, who is in the process of documenting her thoughts and recollections for her son, Jacob (Jake) to read as an adult. The author deftly takes us along Karen’s emotional journey as she faces meeting her former lover once again, along with dealing with her impending death.
    • 3/5
      Karen, in her early 40's and a single mother, has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and has only a few brief years to live. She is fiercely protective of her 6-year-old son Jake, and Karen begins to make arrangements for him to live with her sister and family after her death. Jake, the result of a somewhat brief relationship between Karen and her then-lover Dave, has never known his father, since Dave made it clear to Karen at the time that he wasn't interested in becoming a father and assumed that Karen had aborted the baby after the end of their relationship. Now, as Karen tries to come to terms with her impending death, Jake begins to ask questions about his father and requests to meet him. Though reluctant, Karen contacts Dave and contrary to her expectations, Dave is delighted to discover that he has a son. But this just adds to Karen's fear, and she becomes even more protective of her son.This novel is told from Karen's point of view, as a sort of memoir written to Jake for him to keep & treasure after she has gone. While it had the potential to be a tear-jerker, I think it failed in that respect. While I can grant some sympathy to a main character who is dying, I found Karen to be too self-absorbed, selfish, and whiny, and I just didn't like her. The memoir-style presentation of this story, as a book written to her son, also didn't really work for me, as much of the time Karen was complaining about subject matter that really shouldn't have been relevant to her son, or at least not something that he would want to save & cherish. Those aspects, combined with the reader of this audiobook, whose voice I found not necessarily appealing for a story such as this, just left me with a feeling of disappointment in this novel.
    • 4/5
      This story is told in the form of a mother writing a book for her 6-year-old son to read when he's older, after she's dead. Because, at age 43, she is dying of ovarian cancer. She is very honest about her life and career, as well as her feelings about death and her love for her son. When her son convinces her to call his father - who he's never met - things change drastically. She does not want this man to be a part of her son's life, but this is outside of her control. A very enjoyable read.
    • 3/5
      Karen is a successful political consultant, a career that has provided her with a good living and the ability to set her own hours, allowing her to be a successful single parent as well. However, despite all of her efforts, her 6-year-old son wants to meet his father, who was under a misunderstanding that Karen had aborted the pregnancy after he expressed no desire to be a father. However, when contacted not only does Dave want to meet his son Jake, but he wants to become a major part of his life. Further complicating this situation is the fact that Karen has incurable cancer, so she must make peace with her desire to keep her child all to herself and balance this desire with Jake’s desire to have a relationship with his father. While both Karen and Dave made mistakes, it is up to both of them to be the adults so Jake has a secure childhood. It was a compelling story.
    • 2/5
      Karen Neulander is a single mother to Jacob, a six-year-old boy. When Karen was forty-one-years-old she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, so with around two years left to live she decides to write a memoir named Our Short History for her son to read when he is old enough.From the beginning, Karen comes off as a protective parent. She has made preparations for Jacob to be taken care by Allison, her sister when she is gone, lets Jacob hang out with Allison’s family so the transition would go smoothly for him when the time comes. But Karen who puts so much care and thought into the well-being of her son becomes a different person when Jacob wants to meet his dad – Dave, the man who kicked her out of the house when she told him she is pregnant with his child. So the novel relates the story of Karen trying to do right by her son.Our Short History is supposed to be a tear-jerker, yet it failed to bring me to tears. It was mostly because I did not find Karen to be a likable character – she only scored sympathy points from me because she had cancer!In Our Short History, I did not see why Karen wanted her son to know all the gory details about her career, as she did not paint the best picture of herself in her profession! As a political consultant in New York, Karen had once smeared the campaign of one of her client’s outspoken pro-life Republican opponents by leaking to media that his teenage daughter had had an abortion! Even though I was repulsed by what she did, I tried my best not to hold it against her – it was very early on in the novel, and I realize political consultants sometimes have to be ruthless in order to succeed. But how Karen went ahead and leaked a story about an extramarital affair of her lecherous candidate, possibly to earn a few bucks to pay her insurance by putting out the fire she created herself, did not sit right with me although she regretted it later.When it came to Dave, I was not particularly impressed by the way Karen handled it either. Dave was a jerk to Karen, there is no arguing that. But when Dave tried to step up his game by forming an actual relationship with their son after he was told of Jacob’s existence, Karen became jealous. She tried to keep Jacob away from Dave for the most part of the novel against Jacob’s wishes, hanging on to the idea that Dave is a nasty person because he broke her heart years ago, without even considering the possibility that Dave could turn out to be a decent parent. I felt that was selfish of Karen. ?When I picked Our Short History, I thought I would love the book. However, the story did not move me as I expected, and when it ended I felt bad about not liking a woman with cancer!
    • 2/5
      This had a good premise , but I had a hard time getting into the story . The lead character is dying from cancer , yet unlikable . Her only redeeming quality is love of her son . The story is meant to be read by her son when he becomes an adult , but there's too much job stuff that he wouldn't care about and her protrayal of his father is a little too harsh . It would be easier to believe if the story was a public memoir or a straight fiction . As a private book for her son it just didn't work for me . It was a well written novel .
    • 5/5
      A Short Story is a book written by Karen, a single mother, to her son Jake. It is to be read when he is an adult and she is dead (dying from Ovarian Cancer Stage 4 with a poor prognosis). It is written as only a mother herself could write it, grieving for the milestones in her son's life that she will never live to see. My favorite Aunt, Aunt Louise, died of Ovarian Cancer. Although she was older than Karen at the time of her death, I felt she must have also grieved for the milestones she would miss in her grandchildren's lives.. I feel the author captured the essence of a terminal illness and a mothers reaction to it. This would be an excellent read for a Book Club.
    • 5/5
      This is a heartbreaking tragedy of a novel that seems so real and natural that could be autobiographical (nope, I checked). Many novels and memoirs have been written by those dying and those living around the dying. However, this story of Karen, a campaign manager and single mother with Stage 4 ovarian cancer and a little son just starting first grade, is just singular in its depiction of the physical and psychic pain of knowing when you will be leaving the world without knowing what will happen to those you leave behind. The conflict (as if dying itself isn't enough!) is the entry of Jake's father, Dave, into their lives. The beauty is that there's no magic in it, just regret, anger, guilt, and a dollop of joy, for Jake. Karen also has a wonderful, wealthy sister and a beloved father with dementia, and a politician client along the lines of Anthony Weiner. Plenty going on here, and all is truly riveting and will remain imbedded in this reader's heart.
    • 4/5
      Karen Neulander is a successful political consultant in New York City. She is a single parent raising her six year old son, Jacob. Karen was diagnosed two years ago with stage IV ovarian cancer and is in remission after chemotherapy. Knowing her life span will be short, Karen starts to journal the history of her time shared with her son. Jacob becomes curious about his father and wants to meet him after Karen shares some stories about their courtship. Karen became pregnant during her short relationship with David and she left without telling him that she had the baby. With her future in doubt, Karen reluctantly brings David and Jacob together. After all the years as a single mother, Karen is resistant and angry with the idea of sharing Jacob’s life. This story is not about dying or cancer but about a mother living and coping with a difficult situation. It is about the joys of motherhood and the unconditional love shared with your children. Lauren Grodstein has crafted a beautiful story about a woman struggling to create the best choices for her son knowing her lifetime is limited.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed following the story to the end. It was hard to see that the mother was not giving the son time to get to know the Dad that he so longs to know. It was a little slow for me in the middle. I enjoyed getting the story of her life in the political world. It was interesting as Karen struggled to find the path for her son and learned about herself in the end. I enjoyed the story and was surprised with the book because it is not something I would normally enjoy.
    • 4/5
      With this novel, Grodstein has accomplished something that is nearly impossible—she has written a heart-breaking novel about love, family, acceptance, and what it means to live which is also laugh out loud funny. I liked the feistiness of the main character, Karen, but was torn about whether her actions were completely understandable.
    • 5/5
      This book is a mother's letter to her young son after she finds out she has ovarian cancer. It was very well written with clear descriptions of memorable times, words of advice, and gut-wrenching emotions as this young single mother comes to grips with her future. It is easy to empathize with her as she goes through the stages of grief and comes to accept that she has precious little time with her son, but does not want him to forget about her. I can't imagine going through this but I hope that I would do it as well as she did, with grace, humor, and love.
    • 5/5
      Lauren Grodstein's novel, "Our Short History" is wonderful. Period.I'll save you another synopsis of the book. In short, the main character is a working mother, dying of cancer who has a young son. It is moving and deeply engaging, well written and very satisfying. When I love a book, I usually want to have the main character as my friend--this one was no exception. The characters are very real and have incredible depth, full of happiness and snarky comments and love. I wish I could thank Lauren Grodstein for introducing me to such a wonderful character and for letting me take the journey along with her. I'm going to write a book for my own son, but it won't be as good as this one.
    • 5/5
      It may sound strange to say that a book about a single mother dying of cancer is a fantastic book, but let me tell you that it really is. Our Short History is the first book that I've read by this author and I plan to go back and read her previous books after reading this one. Many thanks to BookBrowse for a copy of this book for a review. (All opinions are my own.)Karen is a successful political consultant in NYC with a young son when she finds out that she has stage IV ovarian cancer. When she got pregnant with her son, the father broke up with her and she never told him about the baby. When her son is six, he asks to meet his father. Up until this time, they had been a family of two and Karen is very apprehensive about bringing his father into her son's life. However father and son bond very quickly and despite Karen's anger over including the dad into her son's life, she realizes that time is running out for her. Will she be able to learn to share her son with his father or will she continue to try to keep them apart? The novel is written as a book that Karen is writing for her son to read when he is grown to explain the life that they had together. I thought she was an extremely fantastic character and the anger that she held against her ex boyfriend, her cancer and life in general is definitely justified. This is a fantastic book -- warning - keep Kleenex close at hand!
    • 5/5
      I can't believe how much I loved Our Short History, considering the subject matter. One of my best friends died of ovarian cancer leaving behind her teenage children. Despite that, I loved reading the book and flew through it. It is a beautifully written book, more about motherhood than anything else. I loved the characters, warts and all. I think it would be a wonderful choice for book discussion groups. There are many ethical issues which could inspire a good discussion. I highly recommend the book.
    • 4/5
      Much of this book was hard to read - Karen is fighting so hard to live the life she has made for herself but the fact of her cancer and her unresolved love for the father of her child keep getting in the way. Coming to terms with death - with leaving behind the life that she loves - with acknowledging that life will go on for those she loves, particularly her son. Those are hard facts. I particularly liked how Ms. Grodstein explored the idea of love and what it means.
    • 4/5
      This was a real tear jerker. Written in the form of letters to her son. Through every experience of letting her son go and how it feels and looks to her, you are wrapped in that unfathomable situation she is living.
    • 4/5
      “In the dark, from her hiding space under the pillow, Allie squeezed my hand, and the old platinum ring on my thumb, and we fell asleep pondering the condition of being mothers, which was, of course, the condition of helping the people you love the most in the world leave you.”Karen, the main character of “Our Short Story” – is a mother. Her son, Jake, will not have the chance to grow up and leave her, because she is dying. She must leave him, and she writes her story, and their too short story, in order to give him a chance to know her once she is gone. This is a heartbreaking book, about the intensity of a mother’s love, and about a woman trying to do everything she can to prepare to leave the world and everything she holds dear.She has Stage 4 ovarian cancer, and an undefined but short time to live. A single mother, she is doing all she can to ready her son for a new life without her while fiercely trying to wring out every last experience and memory of her own life. She has planned for Jake to live with her sister Allie, in Seattle…until Jake’s father enters the picture again and she is forced to deal with the unexpected feelings not only of hers, but of Jake’s and the man who never knew he was a father.There is so much pain in this story – some physical, mostly emotional. As a mother myself, it was impossible for me to not imagine myself in Karen’s place – desperate to stay with a child you love more than life itself while having to plan for your child’s life after you’re gone. The reader experiences Karen’s frustration, exhaustion, denial and final the start to her release & acceptance.The story starts out about her but evolves into the story of Jake – where his life will lead and how he will grow up with the people Karen has gathered to help raise him. What Jake’s memories and stories will be about the woman who bore him and raised him in the time she had on Earth.She has done her best for him, and realizes she needs to trust in the other people who love him. “I hope that wherever and whenever this book finds you, it finds you as happy as you were at that moment – as the two of us were, the three of us, even. Eating pizza around the kitchen table, no big deal, a Thursday night. Remember that we loved each other. And that once upon a time it was the two of us, and we were our own magical family.”As Karen starts to let go, the reader must as well – not with the ending anyone wanted, but with an ending where it belongs – at peace. In the end, it is not about the life that Karen has given her son, but what his life has given her. “And thank you for being eternal, so that when the time comes – whenever it comes – I will find the strength to close my eyes.”