Random
Acts of Kindness
By
Lisa Verge Higgins
Lisa Verge Higgins has a wonderful way of taking the mundane of
life, the everyday crisis that we live through and turning it into a delightful
read that leaves us giggling, laughing, and dabbing at our eyes as our mascara
slides down our cheeks either in sheer mirth or in gut wrenching sobs as we
connect at an intimate level with what is happening to the characters in one of
her novels.
I have had the unique pleasure of participating in lively and
spirited book club reads with Lisa over the last few years as her books have
been released, as hosted by Debbie Haupt through the General Fiction board at
the now defunct Barnes and Nobles Book Clubs.
Each book was a month long road through one of her works and punctuated
with spirited dialogue and camaraderie with Lisa’s willing participation. The days were filled with laughter and tears,
arguments and debates, but most of all lots of fun.
The last book that came out in 2013 was Random Acts of Kindness. As
we all discovered very quickly, this was a story of a different flavor. Even though there was some light hearted
banter between the characters of Random
Acts of Kindness, the subject matter of this book seemed to hit most of us
a little closer to home and on issues a little more difficult to talk
about.
What do you say to your sister who is dying of cancer? Or to your sister if you have cancer but have
a different viewpoint on how you want to deal with facing the possibility of
imminent death? How do you keep your
head above the water and blues?
What do you say to your friends when you can’t even admit to
yourself that you can’t handle the failure going on in your own life? You have always been the rock, the one who
could be counted on to come through, but you know you can’t be perfect
anymore.
What do you do? How do you share your worst nightmare of your married life with your friends? How can you let them share with you something that you can’t even face or share with yourself?
What do you do? How do you share your worst nightmare of your married life with your friends? How can you let them share with you something that you can’t even face or share with yourself?
The characters within the pages deal with such real turmoil on
levels that the reader can identify with and feel, as if the emotions roiling
within are their own. You know that the
writer has truly hit home when you have to set the book aside and pick up the
box of tissue and hold it as the sobs wrack your soul, for you have lived that
experience, that trial.
In the guise of a farewell road trip for one of the characters,
each of the characters faces their own demons and discovers the strength and friendship
of the other friends along the way, that help them through their own
crisis.
Though a much darker novel than her others, Random Acts of Kindness does not lack for Lisa’s magical touch of
well-placed hilarity where it is needed, in a timely manner. Even though this was probably the most
difficult of all the novels for me to read because I identified so closely with
the subject matter, I would consider this probably the best of her literary
works to date.
Random Acts of
Kindness is worthy of five
stars (and 3 boxes of tissue). A job
well done.
The sequel to Random Acts of Kindness will be coming out in the Spring of 2015. You will not want to miss the continuing story of the friends we first met on the road trip across America in Random Acts of Kindness. There is nothing like life time friends that you can depend on when life just "happens", for that is when you find out who your friends truly are.
Keep up with Lisa Verge Higgins and her current books at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lisavergehiggins
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lvhiggins
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lisavergehiggin/
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