Original and heart wrenching,Parting Gifts deals with a remarkable boy and the woman who,in time,discovers not only tha truth behind how he come to be in her life,but also a very special talent for parenting.
this book deals with a remarkable boy and the woman who in time discovers not only the truth behind how he came into her life, but also a special talent for parenting.this is a remarkable author i enjoy all her books
Kyra loses her husband to a freak accident. A young woman shows up claiming she is the daughter Kyra gave up for adoption 20 yrs. ago. She wants to leave her 3-yr. old son with "grandma" Kyra, a role Kyra is not ready for, but she and Jesse must flourish or flounder in their unexpected relationship.
Original and heart wrenching. Parting Gifts deals with a remarkable little boy and the woman who, in time, discovers not only the truth behind how he came to be in her life, but also a very special talent for parenting.
Parting Gifts, introduces Kyra Latimer, who was reared in a Barrymore-esque family feeling like she never quite fit in with the rest of her beautiful, talented relatives. Devastated when her beloved older husband is killed in a tragic accident, Kyra can barely function, though her eccentric family does their best to help her cope. But Kyra quickly snaps back to reality when salvation arrives in the form of a dirty, bruised little scrap of humanity: a 3-year-old boy named Jesse. Literally dumped on her doorstep by his hard-eyed young mother, who claims to be the daughter Kyra gave up for adoption as a teenager--an interesting proposition, as Kyra is unable to have children--Jesse has seen and experienced too much ugliness in his young life and keeps warily silent. Given the choice of taking the tiny stranger into her home and heart or letting his mother place Jesse in foster care so she can move away with her boyfriend, Kyra begins negotiating the rough waters of teaching a child to trust again.
I know I should write a better review if I want folks to order my book but . . . So unbelievable! (1) A three year-old will not remember ten years later so perfectly. (2) No responsible, loving mother is going to let a twelve year-old die because he refuses medical treatment. (3) A mother allows her dying adolescent to have a hooker so he can experience sex?! And the author treats this as normal and good? Give me a break! Stupid book!
I had never read anything written by this author but found it to be a good read.
4 out of 10. You can tell the plot a mile away..
This book goes to great lengths to demonstrate the importance of family and friends during difficult times. A lot of emotioins are explored in this book as the story unfolds about an abused child who was adopted by a single woman. After living together for 9 years, the child's kidneys are beginning to die at the young age of 12. It really was a great read and I would love to share this book with someone. Babs
This is a tender book.........
From the back of the book:
When Kyra Latimer loses her husband to a freak accident in Manhattan, she can't imagine how she'll be able to move into the future without him. But on the day of his funeral, the unimaginable happens.
A young woman, with a small boy in tow, shows up at Kyra's home, claiming to be the child Kyra surrendered for adoption some twenty-odd years before. Refusing to accept the truth-that Kyra cannot possibly be her mother-Jennifer Cullen insists on leaving her three year old son, Jesse, with his "grandmother". Touched by the boy's visible neglect, Kyra agrees to keep Jesse. And Kyra takes on a new role-as mother.
As it turns out, Jesse is no ordinary child, and Kyra is no ordinary mother. In the course of their life together, Kyra and Jesse flourish and flounder in unanticipated ways. Until, finally, Kyra is forced to confront an impossible choice: whether or not to honor the life-or-death decision of her adopted son.
When Kyra Latimer loses her husband to a freak accident in Manhattan, she can't imagine how she'll be able to move into the future without him. But on the day of his funeral, the unimaginable happens.
A young woman, with a small boy in tow, shows up at Kyra's home, claiming to be the child Kyra surrendered for adoption some twenty-odd years before. Refusing to accept the truth-that Kyra cannot possibly be her mother-Jennifer Cullen insists on leaving her three year old son, Jesse, with his "grandmother". Touched by the boy's visible neglect, Kyra agrees to keep Jesse. And Kyra takes on a new role-as mother.
As it turns out, Jesse is no ordinary child, and Kyra is no ordinary mother. In the course of their life together, Kyra and Jesse flourish and flounder in unanticipated ways. Until, finally, Kyra is forced to confront an impossible choice: whether or not to honor the life-or-death decision of her adopted son.
Not enough adjectives to describe this wonderfully, moving, tear jerker, inspiring story. It was simply extraordinary in my view. A super, super read for anyone.
