Peter Hedges

Pieces of April [VHS]
$6.98
I always watch this movie on Thanksgiving Day... and it never fails to make me smile and also bring a tear to my eye. This is a deeply moving tale of what it means to be the misunderstood 'black sheep' of one's family who learns to make her family proud... but also of parents and a brother willing to give her one 'final' chance. Both Patricia Clarkson and Oliver Platt give real, nuanced performances as parents going thru their own tragic hell, the best they are able... and Katie Holmes does a good job of the misunderstood, and difficult daughter, trying desperately to make her family proud. By the end of the film I challenge you to not feel a deep feeling of hope of what every family which suffers from stress, illness, whatever, could experience on Thankgiving (or any) day: forgiveness, love, acceptance and gratitude for each other.

British Light Overtures, Vol. 2
$11.98

Pieces of April
$14.98
I always watch this movie on Thanksgiving Day... and it never fails to make me smile and also bring a tear to my eye. This is a deeply moving tale of what it means to be the misunderstood 'black sheep' of one's family who learns to make her family proud... but also of parents and a brother willing to give her one 'final' chance. Both Patricia Clarkson and Oliver Platt give real, nuanced performances as parents going thru their own tragic hell, the best they are able... and Katie Holmes does a good job of the misunderstood, and difficult daughter, trying desperately to make her family proud. By the end of the film I challenge you to not feel a deep feeling of hope of what every family which suffers from stress, illness, whatever, could experience on Thankgiving (or any) day: forgiveness, love, acceptance and gratitude for each other.

An OCEAN IN IOWA: A NOVEL
$11.00
I was thoroughly disappointed by this novel.

I really liked the characters that Peter Hedges created and he touches on some serious issues; alcoholism, divorce, sexual abuse but where is the story? I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did.

Loan this one from the library if you need to read it.