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Blogs by Karen Harrington
Mother of 2 weighs in on sensitive issues behind Janeology 5/21/2008 6:53:42 AM
"I was intrigued by this book. I am the mother of two young children, and know the stress that is involved with raising them and still trying to find "me" time and time for myself and my husband as a couple." From Amateur de Livre, a great site about all things books:
"I will admit that it can seem overwhelming at times but I try my best and think that I do ok - I'm not a perfect person, mother, or spouse, but I accept that and make the most of every day, whatever it may bring. Every time I hear the stories on the news about mother's who take the lives of their child/children I shudder. I personally can't imagine what would make someone reach this level…don't get me wrong, I am trying not to judge these individuals because obviously they do suffer from some sort of mental illness, I am just saying that I can't imagine it. A perfectly innocent child who usually wants nothing more than some love and affection. But, I am going on and on when I really should be reviewing the book. So, here goes.
Since the birth of my daughter 4 years ago, I have realized that the worst thing that can happen to an individual is to lose a child. For Tom Nelson the pain involved is even more intense- his wife, Jane, drowns their son and tries to drown his twin sister, who survives the attack. This book revolves around the trial against Tom - should he spend time in jail for failing to realize that his wife was "ill" and not helping to prevent this tragedy? Isn't he suffering enough knowing that he may have missed some obvious signs of distress that may have saved the lives of his dead son, and institutionalized wife? Where do we draw the line when it comes to liability?
There are many aspects of this book that I liked. I am always interested in the genetic aspect of things and this book does a wonderful job of exploring these possibilites. Was Jane predisposed to do an act like this, due to her genetic makeup? After reading this book, you may change your mind on how much the gene pool may influence our behavior patterns. Then again, you may not. It is something that could cause some heated discussions, and thought provoking as well."
I also was intrigued by Mariah, a relative of Jane’s who is clairvoyant. She is able to touch objects in a trunk that belongs to Jane and help piece together the missing parts of Jane’s past - parts that may help us understand her personality, and what may have caused her to commit this horrendous act. The writing of these events was wonderfully done - I loved the way the author used different “voices” to represent the different family members and time frames. Very well done.
To read the full review and that of other fine books, follow the link below.
