Elizabeth Lindsay, wife and mother of two, is in an auto accident. She awakens in a hospital with strangers calling her Kate. She learns that she perished in the accident and is the donor for the first successful brain transplant. Her mind and memories now reside in the body of eleven-year old Kate. She's not supposed to have a personal memory, but ... Elizabeth is faced with an overwhelming situation. How does she resolve her death and rebirth? How does she stop being Liz and start becoming Kate? It s a story about love and letting go, of redemption and second chances.
"Becoming Kate" is a story that I really want my blog readers to read. It isn't often, that I read a book that I want everyone to experience. This book is for teens and adults alike. This is a book that makes you think about life and how you live life. It makes you think about death and how you will be remembered. It also is a story that makes you look deep down inside of yourself and maybe makes you question your ethics. Here are the things I can promise you...
-This book will grab you from the first two sentences. "Liz had no idea that today would be the last day of her life. It started like any other Saturday."
-You will not be able to put this book down after you have started it. I had to keep reading it to find out what would happen to Kate/Liz.
-I liked all of the characters in the story, even the brain transplant doctor, Dr, Jamison. Dixie developed all of her characters very well. I am not going to say that you will love all of the characters, but she will bring up great emotion in the readers as you read the book.
-The idea of a brain transplant can be creepy, but fascinating at the same time. Dixie shows all sides of whether this kind of procedure is ethical or not. It also shows the possibility of memories not being erased and still remaining from the transplant donor.
-Your heart will be pulled into so many directions while reading this book. You will feel for Kate/Liz wanting her old life back. She experiences so much pain as she can only watch her husband and children from a distance. You will feel the heartbreak of Liz's husband and children as they try to go on with Liz now "dead". You will feel drawn to Kate's parents, as they thrill at the fact that their 11 year old daughter is still alive. You will understand the struggle that Kate/Liz has as she has to learn to love her new Mom, Dad and brother.
-I also really love the book club questions at the end of the book:
1 .How important is memory to the definition of who we are?
2. Does the body have a memory?
3 .Where does the soul reside? In the heart, brain or some other place?
4. Is age a state of mind or is it controlled by man's calendar?
5. How adaptable is the human spirit?
6. Could a responsible, loving parent ever truly release his/her children to the care of another and remain in the shadows?
I highly recommend that you read "Becoming Kate". As you read and contemplate all of these questions, I promise you that many aspects of how you live your life will change.
I also am blogging about this book so more of you will read this wonderful book. After you read "Becoming Kate", please then go to the Whitney Awards website and nominate this book for a Whitney Award. I feel that it is deserving to be in the running to win an award. It is very easy to nominate any book that you have read, written by an LDS author, that was published in 2010. Now is the time for you, as readers, to let your opinions be known. You can nominate books until December 31st, 2010.
About the Author:
Dixie Owens worked for 30 years with the State of California
Employment Development Department (EDD) in various marketing and
job development roles. She holds an Associate of Arts from Ohlone College;
Marketing Coursework at U.C. Davis; completed a certification program,
"Women in Management," from the University of Southern California's
Post-graduate School of Business. Dixie Wilks Owens currently resides in Grants Pass,
Oregon with her husband. Now this mother of seven, grandmother of fifteen, "spins" time by writing, dancing, scupting, painting, singing and supporting worthwhile causes.
I was generously supplied a review copy of "Becoming Kate". In no way did this influence the review or recommendation that was given to the book. I do not get paid for any reviews that are given on this blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment