Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt

I just finished a book that I really liked called Pictures of You, by Caroline Leavitt.  The plot surrounds a major tragedy involving two women fleeing their marriages who collide on a foggy night.  You can find this book on the Kindle or in print for a pretty inexpensive price.

When I first read the book description, I thought it was going to be really depressing and sappy.  I was proved wrong.  It does cover a lot of the emotions that follow death, but also shows how the survivors find their way back to some sense of normal again.  They also explore new life directions that are very rewarding in the long run.

Leavitt does a really good job in making the characters real.  You can truly feel the characters’ joy and grief.  One woman in the collision does not survive.  She leaves behind a husband and son.  The son is severely asthmatic.  You really get a true picture of how much he suffered from his illness, and how he handles his mother’s death.

Now on to happier times.  The son finds his niche with photography.  The woman who survives the accident begins to heal.  It has been awhile since I’ve been sucked into a good book that has this much depth.

So if you like stories about triumph over adversity, this one would be a good one to try.  Pictures of You has received highly favorable reviews from both critics and general reviewers.

Susan Henderson

“This is a deeply satisfying read that shows the many facets of love. Examining the survivors of a fatal car crash, Leavitt explores grief, guilt, secrets, and disappointments in a cast of sympathetic characters who become so entangled, it’s not clear to anyone what decisions are the right ones to make. I highly recommend this book, which feels like an easy read and yet works profoundly on the soul. “