Trumpets and Swans and Summers

 

    The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars is mostly about a teenaged Sara and her ten-year-old little brother, Charlie, who is mentally challenged. He sneaks out of the house during the night and becomes lost in the woods. When his absence is discovered the next morning, Sara and everyone in the neighborhood frantically comb the hills and valleys trying to find him. 

    This author beautifully presents Sara's love for her brother, which hits home, since I have five brothers to love, less the one who ascended to eternal summer last year, but all the affection still remains.

    

    At the risk of being a spoiler, I disclose that Charlie is found, and I confess that I truly rejoiced, after treading through grueling chapters and sitting on pins and needles. This is one of those books that made me set aside a special time in private to read the last few chapters, because (1) I wanted to read it undisturbed, and (2) if a tear fell, no one would see. 

    On a sun-filled afternoon, I sat down on the porch in a white rocker and read the final chapters. Tears welled, but I held them back.

    I won't divulge the story of The Trumpet of the Swan, because, in full disclosure, I read it a while ago, and I don't remember the particulars, but I do remember how this book made me feel, the same way I remember how a friend makes me feel. 

     Propped up in bed, I finished the last page and closed the book, and I could not let go, so I held it in my hands for the longest time. Eventually I laid it on the nightstand, but only because I had to turn out the light and go to sleep. 

    I would like to read this book again, the same way I would like to go on a trip to the same destination as before, with the same people as before, when I enjoyed every moment, and I left with more contentment than when I arrived.

    Far Away summer by Johanna Hurwitz is another delight. Like The Trumpet of the Swan, the plot is buried underneath the plots of other books I've read since then. All I remember is that a young girl spends a summer far away from home, but again, I recall the way I felt while turning the pages.

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    These books are not the genre I usually read, which is nonfiction/true stories. I took a break from real life and other people's problems. These titles were probably written for juvenile audiences, but that's okay. Growing up, I didn't have a ton of books, so I'm making up for lost time and childhood deficiencies.