Jack and Laurel Cooper were living their dream. They had moved from the city after Jack’s retirement to run a Bed & Breakfast in Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley. Domus Jefferson or The House of Jefferson sat in the middle of heaven, nestled in the shadows of both the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains.
Success wasn’t overnight, through trial and error the B&B began to make money to the relief of eldest son, Matthew, who envisioned his inheritance fueling fires in the quaint fireplaces.
One of the Cooper’s favorite regulars was an eccentric widow woman named Anna Belle Prestwich. Her home, a Southern mansion reportedly worth half a million, was five miles down the road and easily seen through barren trees in the winter. Described as cavernous, the mansion paled in comparison to the goings and comings of the Cooper’s warm Domus Jefferson.
Over the years Anna Belle developed quite a routine at the inn. With a stack of romances and her favorite cat, Castro, she whiled away the day in her $190 room—insisting on paying $300—stirring only for bathroom breaks or tea. The Coopers were weary of waiting on her for one reason, she over tipped. It was nice at first, but really unnecessary. Unbeknownst to Anna Belle, they began to donate the money to a children’s charity in Washington, D.C. which now sported a new basketball court among other niceties.
Over the years, health became an issue for both Jack and Laurel. Jack had cancer and Laurel had a heart murmur, but on the night of April 13, 1988, Jack was in trouble. It could be seen in his sunken eyes and papery skin; He was tired.
Laurel tried not to wake Jack as she eased beside him in their bed. Through her tears, Jack’s voice interrupted with, “Hi.” She quietly asked how he felt, was he dizzy, and he quietly answered, “Nope, peachy.”
It was this moment, as he turned towards his wife, she had a stroke. He shook her. He crawled out of the bed for the phone. He fell on top of the lamp and passed out. He came to and struggling to get back in the bed. Finally, he lay next to her still warm body and began to cry. Ten minutes passed until he made a move for the nightstand and Domus Jefferson stationery. Tonight he would write the last Wednesday love letter to his wife.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a love story in Jason F. Wright’s The Wednesday Letter.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Wednesday Letters (copy)
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16 comments:
That sounds like a tear-jerker if I've ever heard one. It sounds really good. Maybe I'm due for a good cry.
The lady I worked with said it sounded sad, but really it's a little of everything. Hope you like it Lisa! :)
So this is shameful...but The Wednesday Letters is STILL on my nightstand...waiting patiently to be read. Thanks for the encouragement.
I thought this was a such good book. A real feel-good read. And, yes, it has more in it than just the love of the Jack and Laurel for each other. It's also the story of how their 3 children come to accept the loss of their parents and go on with their lives. Don't miss the secret letter tucked into the back cover.
I read CHRISTMAS JARS by this author and have this one on my wish list. Sounds good.
Don't think anything about it, Tiffany! I had a huge decision to make this week with two book club meetings and the weekly column. I ended up putting down Atwood's Cat Eyes (so I went to book club without finishing the book in order to read the shorter Wednesday Letters. Forget Our Man in Havana! I got a reprieve on this gem! :D
Thanks Kay, for filling in the blanks. What I wrote was for the newspapers in the form of booktalk not review. I figure in Mississippi, it is better to hook'em into picking up the book than giving too much and the readers feeling they needn't read it. I was going for the Valentine angle since I write my articles 1.5/2 weeks in advance. I did so want to have them found by A&P in each other's arms, that's why I spent so much time on Anna Belle (A&P) and then used up my word count and had to rethink the whole ending. Deadline gets me everytime. ;P
Lynne, it was more satisfing than CJs. Put it on the stack! :D
I think your Valentine thought was a good one, Maggie. And I definitely understand about trying to hook 'em into the books. LOL I mentioned the letter in the back because I had one patron who missed it and when I asked her about it, she didn't even realize that it was there. Wonder if she's ever gotten to read it?
Oh, no! That would be a shame for anyone to miss, Kay. I read the booktalk to hubby last night and he said my last sentence was a little too peppy for the piece. :)
I love the cover and the story sounds nice.
Maggie, what a lovely recap of the book. One on the finest I've read.
I am so glad you enjoyed The Wednesday Letters!
I am so glad you wrote this book up. I've been wondering about this one. I'll have to add it to my "to read" list.
The cover is pretty, WW100! I wanted to do a display using it, but it belongs to the local library. We are still waiting on our copy...The display will be all red books and ask, "Red Any Good Books?" Great for Valentine's Day! ;D
Why, thank you Mr. Wright! And, thanks for writing the book! :D
Lori, we call it the never ending TBR (to-be-read) stack, pile, book case, etc. Glad to know you are working on a TBR, too! ;D
gee, that sounds sad... but also interesting--love the setting, have stayed in a few b&bs in that area
Thanks Sage. I made a boo-boo in the last paragraph where Jack is crawling then falls on a lamp, which means he should be erect. Oh, well. Maybe, readers will be caught in the moment...
Never been to this area or Maggie's Valley. I picture myself in a church bus with other blue/green hairs by the time I finally do! :D
I have this one in my TBR pile and am anxious to read it. It sounds really good. I read Christmas Jars and liked it alot, so it will be fun to read another from this author.
Good, April! I hope you enjoy it! :)
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