Sitting practice (edition 2003)

A newly married couple's happiness is shattered by a freak car accident. Paralyzed from waist down, Iliana is forced to give up her nursing career, but is determined to regain her independence; Ross, a movie caterer, struggles with guilt. Both are faced with redefining their life and relationship. Adderson chooses to infuse the story with quirky characters, intelligence, surprises, and even humour. ( )

I enjoyed aspects of this book but I had a hard time caring about the main characters. The newlywed couple suffers such a tragedy, one that each deals with in their own way. But they never try to deal with it together, instead of growing closer and figuring out how they move forward they just exist. I kept thinking 'would it kill you to just talk?'

I enjoyed this book. I had read a similar book called The Dive from Clausen's pier - similar in that they both deal with the paralysis of a loved one. Though this book was more touching b/c there was more of a connection with the characters. Very well-written book. ( )

A very low-key, gently-moving story that works because you care about the characters. Could have easily slipped into melodrama, but instead feels true-to-life. ( )

I found this book slow-going - I think maybe because I never really developed any sympathy for the characters. The story is about a newlywed couple that is involved in a horrible car accident - he's driving and she is critically injured. She survives but is paralyzed from the waist down. As they try to put their lives back together, he struggles with the guilt and she struggles with the lack of communication with her husband. It's clear she doesn't struggle with her disability for long - after her recovery and initial period of adjustment, she seems to take it in stride. The point of view in the storytelling shifts quite often - obviously two different people will see something differently, but I found the conflicting information confusing at times. Perhaps this was intentional, or perhaps I just wasn't reading carefully enough. I did think it was an interesting insight, though, when Iliana recognized that "she was exempt from societal scrutiny" (with the possible exception of her sister-in-law). But in the end the story was wrapped up too quickly, neatly, and with much less remorse than seemed plausible. ( )