Armand and Anna's marraige during the war turned into a fifty year agreement never to speak or see each other again. Miranda wants to know what happened and why it happened well she find out before it's to late? If she finds out the truth well that have any impact on her realationship with her grandparents?
Miranda is in search of answer's in the mystery of why her grandparents haven't spoken to each other in 50 years. The answers she finds not only reveat the why's but also reveals the life her grandparents lived during the war. Across the ocean her bond with her grandmother is just as strong if not stronger. In France Miranda has created a special bond with her grandfather. While in France she has fell in love with her grandparents ruin down house they purchased and then with a great man.
Not only has she learned that her grandmother had a reason for peaking in half sentences and riddles. This book is full of history and life long lessons. Miranda's realationship with her grandmother reminds me of the realationship my gram and I had. A unspoken word or a strong connection between a grandparent (grandmother) and grandchildren (granddaughter) is ust as rare as finding a four leaf clover.
Miranda compares her grandparents to magnets. "They were like the north poles of two magnets, impossible to pust close enough together." Armand receives an invitation from Miranda for her Bat Mitzaih; her responed in a very quick manner which was rare for him. His response is heart breaking "beining in the same room as Anna (Miranda's grandmother) it would cause them to have simultaneous heart attacks and die." Miranda is so set on finding out why her grandparents have not spoke or seen each other in 50 years that she gets a student visa to La Roche not only because; she wanted to find out what happened between her grandparent but also because she fell in love with the house Armand and Anna bought.
Anna and Miranda wrote letters to and from each other. Miranda asking questions about dates and Anna giving bread crumbes of informatnion. Amarand and Miranda would sit, have tea and talk about the war or certian dates that is until she brough up, Anna then he would go off on a rant or shut down until the topic was changed.Miranda had a routine of placing her shoes by the door and constantly thinking of viable hiding places to hide. This routine was somehow related to her granparents but she really didn't understand how or why.
Her non-Jewish father remarking "this will all come down to you, Miranda. You're goint to have to figure out hot to carry it all." Duing a visit with Armand Miranda walked in with a handful of four leaf clovers. She held out the colvvers to him as a little offering but he didn't accept them he recoiled violently, color left his face, he looked horrified and croaked "you're all witches." Spring break Anna informs her children she want to go to Alba to see the house her and Armand bout so many years ago. Miranda offeres to go with her grandmother who is dead set on going to France one last time.
"I had seen changes in her myself, but I had not yet realized it was possible for my grandmother to actually diminish or weaken in any way." That statement made me think of my gram who once was this strong woman that became weak and child like. There is a part in this book were Miranda is helping Anna underdress she wished she was a little gril and her grandmother was invincilbe again. What little little girl who had a close knit bond with her grandmother woulnd't wish for the impossible? Anna sshowed she still cared and loved Armand whe she told Miranda "It's good you'll be close to your grandfather. You can keep and eye on him. He needs you."
Another statement in this wonderful book made me smell and think of my gramps. "He puffed on his pie which made the dining room smell rich and warm." After reading that statement I could see my gramps in his chair watching a John Wayne film, and smoiking his pipe. I could even smeel his tavvacco clear as day. If one statement can envoke all those memories then the author has real talent. Armand and never talked to or about each other to anyone.
So Miranda never knew when her grandparents were married, until she went through some photocopied letters from her grand mother. She came across a letter from Anna to the Swiss Federal Police offices. Can you imagine having to request to have your own money released to you? As one point in this Miranda compares her grandparents story to the faiytale "Little Red Riding Hood." Armand loses his memory of current events but his life during the war and being a translator haunts him and becomes reality all over again. Anna had a motive for Miranda to move to France to be close to her grandfather and that movite is a very sweet one. I will not tell you that motive you will have to read it for yourself. "
Here is a quote from the book that will touch your heart and soul in some way. "I imagined that the galazy of memories that accompanied each name and I hope each one had a person like me attached to it, scrabling to remember, to stitch together a story before it was to late. "
Quotes from the boo: That I found interesting "That is like shitting on someone's doorstep, ringing the doorbell and asking for toilet paper." (This quote has me in stitches")< /br> "Each of us has our own ways of connecting with the world of the dead." < /br> "A grave is nothing. Just the ground they put your body in." "Anonyomous drops in the rainstorm of history." "If you imagine that you are worth more than the others vecause the war has spared you, you are wrong." (very true indeed) "What do you have to do to make a baby? Open your legs twice in nine months, that what?" (This quote had me laughing for an hour) "But to raise a child that requires experience and wisdom."
