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Read Range Of Motion (2004)

Range Of Motion (2004)

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Rating
3.92 of 5 Votes: 3
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ISBN
0099451735 (ISBN13: 9780099451730)
Language
English
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Range Of Motion (2004) - Plot & Excerpts

I loved this book! It was just beautiful. I cried so hard, almost from the beginning, but oh, what a lovely love story this was. It's really interesting to think about how a huge accident or death affects everything, and our lives are divided by before the Event and after the event. I know I feel that way about my dad's death in 1998. Oddly enough, just a day or so ago, I posted in my blog about something my husband said to me. Unk was just walking out the door to see a movie with his brothers, and he said, "Hey. If anything ever happens to me. . ." (we have these conversations every once in a while, and I wondered where this one was going) "Well, you know, you've been travelling a lot, I've been travelling a lot, and I'm about to take another trip. . . Anyway, if anything ever happens to me, I want you to know. . . I've had a very happy life with you."This is relevant because the whole book is about a man who was in a coma, and what his wife goes through during that time.Two sections I'd like to quote, because they stood out:Talking about the Forties The women were home. They got to talk. I'm not sure it wasn't better. Think of it, the luxury of talking to another woman and feeling your three-year-old idly pressing his head into your stomach, instead of being fined for picking him up late at day care -- again.Talking to a nurse who thinks talking to someone in a coma is a waste of time 'All right. I guess I understand what your wishes are.'I stand. 'I intend to bring him home. Recovered.'Nothing. Polite vacancy.'If you don't think that's possible, I'd like you stay out of his room.''I'm the head nurse here, Mrs. Berman. I go into every patient's room, every day.''Well, don't talk to him,' I say. 'Don't touch him.'I wanted to say YAY Lainey, when I read that :)This book is just wonderful.

I'm so lucky that I get to narrate. I've always loved acting and writing, and this is the best of both worlds. And every once in a while, I get a chance to narrate a book that resonates in me, like a plucked string. This is one of those books. When I was sixteen, I tried to read "As I Lay Dying" by Faulkner and I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on, so I went outside, and sitting under a willow tree on a picnic table that sagged, I read that book out loud, using different accents. Suddenly, I got it. I mean, I GOT it. The characters jumped out to me. And I also got something else. I got that words, well-written words, are musical.This book reminds me that words are both musical and magical.I know this is an older book, so if you haven't read it, pick it up. It's a dramatic piece, but I think the themes of marriage, love, family and hope are so relatable. If you don't read it yourself, I'll hope you'll listen to the audio. I tried to stay true to Berg's characters, and I have to say that while reading it out loud, there were moments were I was just swept away..by the beauty and emotion and just, well, realness, I guess. I'm so honored that I was allowed to give her words voice. What a lovely story.

What do You think about Range Of Motion (2004)?

This was easy reading.I felt it was great that this woman had such faith that her husband would come out of his coma. She did so many things that were "outside the box" to try and bring him back. I also liked the nostalgia in the book, it brought back many memories - a good place to springboard from in writing my own personal history. I appreciated the friendship from her friend Alice. I think anyone in our Church and community can appreciate all she did and was willing to do for her friend Lainey. I felt like the ghost woman in this story took the place of the Holy Ghost or of any spiritual promptings and I guess that is one step closer than most stories have in them. But there was no acknowledgment of turning to a higher power for help or inspiration from Lainey (even though it seemed that she was certainly receiving inspiration), or anyone else in this story and no gratitude expressed for blessings or help from on high. I gave the book 3 stars.
—Janice

Range of motion was a quick, easy, and pleasant read. The premise of a loving family whose lives are disrupted by a freak accident and how they cope with it until it ends (no spoiler alert!). The young husband and father of 2 young girls is in a coma as result of snow sliding off the roof and hitting his head as he is walking to his office. The wife does her best a keeping his energy alive for herself and her daughters through site, sounds, scents. Her strength during this time and her reminisces of their times together demonstrate how much in love they were, and as you read you want to have what they have – it is a fun love – they sing to each other, they play love games. There were no surprises and while the accident is unfortunate, the wife has good friends support, and develops storyline with a previous resident of the house, which offered her solace. The medical profession of the nursing homes was shown in a very good light, and I was relieved to read that. I think she did a good job coping, but nothing extraordinary. She was committed, steadfast, and loyal. The range of motion analogy was understandable but not memorable – I finished the book immediately after our meeting and promptly forgot the title – so when I reviewed what we were to read, I thought what was that book about – I had to open the book to refresh my memory. I read the author’s comment and she even had a preferred title – Telling songs. That would have made more impact for me. I would give this book 3 of 5, and most likely wouldn’t bring it up in conversation, there just doesn’t seem to have enough tension or new material. I would have no problems recommending for a quick summer read, and that is what we planned when the book lovers selected it.
—Margaret

This is a story about love and a story about friendship. Again, Berg's writing is perfect. There are always so many quotes and moments from her books that stay with me, but for this book I absolutely love when Lainey is telling Alice about her college roommate who always wore black and was always depressed. She disliked Lainey so much because Lainey was an optimist, and when Lainey admits that every morning when she wakes up she is happy and excited to see what the day is going to bring- she can see that her roommate thinks she is a jerk. So Lainey looks at her and says "Look. For me, the glass is a fucking waterfall. Get used to it" (page 204) That was the perfect thing to say. And it describes Lainey so well, because even though she is human, and has fears and even resentments about her husband being in a coma- she always genuinely believes he is going to wake up and she never stops doing all that she can (from talking to him to bringing him food he can smell) to make sure that he does.
—Maria

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