Fourth Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

The Year We Disappeared: A Father-Daughter Memoir by: Cylin Busby and John Busby, Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books, 2008 Genre: Non-Fiction

The Year We Disappeared is about a Falmouth, Massachusetts cop named John Busby and his family, who live in Falmouth. One night while driving to the police station to begin his shift, he was shot in the face by a person in another car as it drove by. John Busby nearly died from loss of blood, but reached Mass General Hospital in time. The doctors had to wire-shut his mouth because half of his jaw was blown off and feed his through a tube that went into his stomach since he couldn’t chew food. He also had to breathe through a hole in his trachea. He was very lucky to survive the shooting with the amount of damage to his face. However, the shooter wanted him dead, so his family; wife Polly, two sons Eric and Shawn, and his daughter Cylin, are put under 24-hour police protection. This book is about John Busby’s struggle to recover and the family’s struggle to hopefully live a normal life one day.

“The book flows seamlessly back and forth from father's to daughter's perspective, each jump between narrators providing further explanation and insight and pulling readers deeper into the story.” -- VOYA (Teen Reviewer)

The Year We Disappeared is told by both father and daughter, alternating their perspectives with each chapter. This writing style helps the reader to understand what it was like for John Busby personally to go through the pain of the shooting and wanting revenge. In addition, this writing style allows the reader to learn what it was like on the outside from his daughter’s point of view and how the “accident” affected everyone around John as well.

I have not read any other books by Cylin Busby even though she is a non-fiction author. Also, I do not typically read non-fiction books because they usually do not interest me. However, this book really opened my eyes to see that non-fiction books can be as intriguing as fiction. This even makes it more intriguing because I know that these events actually did happen.

John: “If I couldn’t keep pressure on my face, I was definitely going to bleed out. But this was more important. Somehow, I scrawled words “not an accident” on the paper, smearing blood on it as I wrote.”(23)
Cylin: “We could see in the streetlight as a guy got out. He was not in a uniform. Then he reached back in the car and pulled something out. It was a long gun—a rifle.”(34)

At first I was a little unsure about reading a non-fiction book because I typically don’t like them. However, when I saw this book, I knew I should read it because I love CSI and like criminal mysteries. As soon as I read the summary, I wanted to read more. This book was amazing. The two different perspectives really helped me to understand the story better and how the incident affected everyone. I felt like I was in the story, experiencing what the Busby family had to go through. After reading this book, I am truly thankful for all the police officers who risk their lives for others every day.

Second Quarter Outside Reading Book Essay

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards, Penguin Books, 2005 Genre: Fiction

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is about a doctor, David Henry, who delivers his wife’s twins during the middle of a blizzard and faces a life changing decision. When the first twin is born, it is a healthy baby boy named Paul. However, when his daughter is born, he discovers that she has Down’s syndrome. Immediately Doctor Henry tells the nurse to take the daughter away and bring her to an institution because babies with Down’s syndrome do not live long and he wants to spare his wife the heartache of loving her then loosing her. However, Caroline Gill, the nurse, decides to raise the baby girl on her own. David Henry’s decision to give his daughter away becomes a “secret” that haunts him and changes his family’s life forever. Throughout the book, David Henry continues to struggle with his decision and whether or not to tell his wife, Norah, the truth. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter takes place in Lexington, Kentucky where Norah, Paul, and David live, as well as Pittsburgh, Kentucky where Caroline Gill and Phoebe, David and Norah’s daughter, live.

“In The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards has created a tale of regret and redemption…of characters haunted by their past. Crafted with language so lovely you have to reread the passages just to be captivated all over again…simply a beautiful book.” – says Jodi Picoult on the book jacket.

Kim Edwards, wrote this book in third person omniscient, which allows you to experience the book as an outsider. However, you know what every character is thinking and feeling, so you are able to read deeper into the story and get to know each character in great detail. As both Phoebe and Paul grow up in different environments and with different parents, you learn how they mature and what they enjoy doing. In addition, you learn and experience each character’s struggles and secrets.

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter was the first book I read by Kim Edwards. However, after reading it, I would love to read some other books by her because I enjoyed her writing style and how she based her plot on real-life struggles. Another book I read with a similar plot was Things Not Seen by For example, in the book Things Not Seen, the main character becomes invisible and has to learn to accept his new life and the daily challenges he endures.

“How he had woken up every morning of his life for eighteen years thinking maybe today, maybe this was the day he would put things right. But Phoebe was gone and couldn’t find her, so how could he possibly tell Norah? The secret had worked its way through their marriage, an insidious vine, twisting; she drank too much and then she began to have affairs, that sleazy realtor at the beach and then others; he’d tried not to notice, to forgive her, for he knew that in some real sense the fault was his. Photo after photo, as if he could stop time or make an image powerful enough to obscure the moment when he turned and handed his daughter to Caroline Gill.” Pg 274.

I really liked this book because it was very detailed and suspenseful. Once the plot began to evolve, I could not put it down. The theme of this book was really an eye opener for me. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter made me think about how later in life I might have to make a decision that could change my life forever. I believe everyone can relate to David Henry and his internal struggle because most people will make a decision they may live to regret. It made me reflect on how he had to deal with his decision every day. His choice also taught me that you should be honest with the people you care about because if you are not, then it can ruin your relationship. Telling the truth may not always be what others want to hear, but at least they will know you are being honest. Keeping secrets and not being honest with yourself and others, often consumes you with guilt and life-long regrets.