It’s really quite a bit of fun to follow one author via his/her many books, and David Baldacci, along with several others, is an author I’ve enjoyed. It’s been quite interesting to contrast an early book against one written later. And even more so is to see the author completely change in his/her story line.

Baldacci’s latest book, One Summer is one that relates a different story from those in the past. Beginning during a snowy December in Ohio, one meets the central character, Jack Armstrong who is suffering from a disease that is always fatal. He convinces himself that he must hang on until Christmas to celebrate that day with his wife and three children. He makes it, but suddenly, his wife is killed in an automobile accident. His life becomes thoroughly devastated when his in-laws send him to a hospice to die and the three children are then divided among relatives across the country. But Jack does not die, to the amazement and disbelief of his doctors.

Recovering fully, Jack decides he wants his family together and then takes the family to a small beach town in the Low Country of South Carolina. During this summer Jack, along with his children, are finally able to achieve the closeness that had been missing in their lives.

Baldacci has that unique talent of drawing characters whom you are certain you know or think you’ve made their acquaintance sometime or somewhere in the past. This is a truly delightful book to read this summer. I’ve always hated to reach the ending of a book I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, as that meant I must close the cover on the characters. Now I just pick it up again and start reading as I’ve probably missed something earlier.

New on the shelves of the Library is a thriller entitled Keys To The Kingdom as written by Bob Graham, the former Governor of Florida and a U.S. Senator, where he spent over ten years on the Senate Committee on Intelligence. The book has been highly publicized as the story of intelligence gathering, primarily involving the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, the author also lays partial blame for the attack of September 11, 2001 at the door of the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia.

I found the plot to be somewhat disjointed, but marveled at the coincidences of a main character and the author. Both were Senators, both Governors of the State of Florida, both had daughters: the author, 4 and his character, 5; and the names of the daughters were the same. And both had served on the Senate Committee on Intelligence.

Unfortunately, I could not finish the book though I tried.

We have a number of books, both hard cover and soft cover, available for sale; at the prices of $1.00 for hardcover and $0.25 for the soft. They make excellent companions when you go on a trip and don’t want to worry about a due date from our Library. Do come and check them out! You won’t be disappointed.

“When an old person dies, a Library burns down”
Karin Gillespie