Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Playing Dad's Song

It seemed like an appropriate day for this one.

Book: Playing Dad’s Song
Author: D. Dina Friedman
Published: 2006

Ever since Gus’s dad died in the 9/11 attacks, there’s been a hole in him that nothing can fill up. He doesn’t have the constant pressure of work, like his mom, or the love of acting that sustains his sister Liza. He spends much of his time alone.

His mom, concerned by how much time he spends under his blanket, signs him up for oboe lessons. While initially apathetic, Gus finds that he has a gift for music, both playing it and composing it.

9/11 is such a huge national and international tragedy that it’s sometimes hard for us to realize that for thousands, it’s intensely personal as well. Friedman gives the rhetoric a miss and focuses instead on the terribly painful story of the people who were left behind.

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