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A Tribute to Grandparents


A Walk with Grandpere: Mickey’s souvenirs is a beautiful literary reminder of all grandparents of the world, all those soft care-givers of childhood who form our first recollections, who teach new family values and bequeath legacies that long, long after their deaths. The book through the character of young Mickey and her dear French grandfather, Pipere, brings out the significant role grandparents play in making children find a sense of love, identity, strength, and the purpose of family.

The novel starts with the first summer vacation of seven-year-old Mickey in the Maine seaside where her parents, baby brother PJ and both grandparents are with her. The beach in itself is crowded with magic: rolling waves, tide pools, colorful beach umbrellas, salty breezes, and even resistible taffy in the candy shop but the most critical part of the experience of Mickey is her relationship with Pipere. Readers can literally sense the warmth, comfort, and stability that he brings to her world the minute she puts her small hand into his. Their connection turns out to be the emotional central part of the story, which explains why grandparents have such a prominent place in family life.

Mickey and her family spend a reunion at the same cabins on the beach each summer and it is Pipere who becomes the center of her best memories each year. Early-morning walks at sunrise they used in common are one of the strongest symbols of the book. They also visit tide pools together, collect sea-shells, watch the small things that the waves have carried in, and together watch the sky fill with color. These are ordinary, small, and routinely ordinary moments when grandparents develop emotional landmarks that remain with their children forever. The constant presence of Pipere causes Mickey to be inquisitive, patient, kind-hearted and appreciative of the beauty of nature.

As the book goes on, the reader can see the influence of Pipere on Mickey development as his identity. Is it when he is holding her hand on rocky waters, or when he is with her at the mall, choosing out the perfect souvenir, or when he is with her on a morning stroll and they are sharing a delicious smile.

As Mickey matures, she starts noting the time elapsing in the form of the old age of her grandfather. The fellow who once sailed through the rugged coast so easily, is slack and cautious. Their positions start to reverse, Mickey now takes care of him, as he used to take care of her. These episodes are authoring in a soft realistic manner with respect to the emotional shifts that take place in families with the growing up of grandparents. However, when Pipere becomes weak, the connection between the two is as powerful as ever to remind the readers that love does not become weaker with age; it evolves.

The book contains one of the saddest moments when a souvenir Mickey took back to France gives her grandfather a hand-carved pipe. She subsequently finds that same pipe in the hands of Pipere in his funeral thus making the object a representation of lifetime love and bondage. It is a sad, sweet memory that grandparents are still living in their memories, traditions, and memories.

The character of Mickey evolves to adulthood and subsequently grandmotherhood several years later. She takes the lessons of Pipere and into her family where she continues with the lessons that he had imparted to her. In what is clearly a moment of high dramatic effect, she takes her half a dozen grandchildren back to the same Maine seaside cabins. The setting may have evolved in time, but the emotional element has not. As she watches her grandchildren playing on the beach, gathering seashells, and watching the sunrise, Mickey smells as though her grandfather is nearby, more so when she spots a halo shaped cloud in the sky.

A Walk with Grandpere: Mickey’s Souvenirs celebrates grandparents as a source of stories, bearers of memories and love. It glorifies the silent methods by which they influence the hearts of the future generations and it reminds a reader that the love of a grandparent is timeless. It is an emotional sentimental personal testament to all readers that love the wisdom, warmth and invaluable companionship of grandparent.

Contact: 

Author: Michelle Dahl
Website: https://michelledahlbooks.com/
Amazon: https://a.co/d/7ntUAlo
Client email: mdahlart@yahoo.com 

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