Crossing to Safety

I just finished reading "Crossing to Safety" by Wallace Stegner.  It was suggested to me as a book written for people who write.  And I have to agree, it was absolutely beautiful. It is the story of two couples whose lives are forever intertwined.  It describes love in so many ways - the deep, dependent, absolute love between spouses; the caring, comforting, giving love between friends; and the demanding, expectant love of parents for their children.  The couples depicted in the book are far from perfect, but their faults are part of what make them who they are, and what makes the characters love each other all the more.   The end of the book is a mixture of heart-breaking and uplifting at the same time, if that is possible.  The characters lives were not easy, and they consisted on many disappointments, and many what-ifs.  But they take everything in stride, and see how the struggles they had to endure actually grew them into something better, if not what they had expected for themselves.   The book flowed easily, as Wallace Stegner has such a gorgeous way of using words.  I could see in my mind the places he describes and the people he depicts.  But what is harder, and what he does so well, is makes you feel the emotion and the energy of each scene.  He makes you feel you are part of these characters lives, that you are a part of the family.  I definitely recommend "Crossing to Safety" to anyone who wants to read about a deep, imperfect, but totally human love between people.   Have a good Shabbos!