The following article was submitted by Therese Horstketter, a Public Services Associate at the Manitowoc Public Library.
Love . . .
It seems as if we just get past Christmas, with all its flurry, and New Year’s Day, with our thoughts cast towards a place where the past and the future freely blend together. Then, suddenly and unceremoniously, we discover ourselves plopped into February.
Though it is the month of midwinter cold and blues, it’s also the month that
Therese Horstketter
celebrates the warmth of romance and love, and everything that those words imply. The cold and blues need no further description, but romance and love? They take so many different forms and can be as simple as looking at someone and falling in love—that tried and true “Love at First Sight “story.
Then, there’s the love that grows on you over time. And let’s not leave out the love that’s there for you when you’re born, and the family with which you first experience love.
It doesn’t stop there, though. There’s the love that selects you as you progress through life when you create a new family that you weren’t born into—be it through friendship, marriage, adoption, or sometimes an obligation to those we love.
Love. It’s as vast as it is mystifying!
Here are a few titles to share with you that explore the many, many versions of love . . . but always, with love at its heart.
Open Season, by Linda Howard
A librarian, open to new adventures in life, finds herself mixed up in a murder case—and also with the lawman that needs to protect her.
Lizzie & Dante, by Mary Bly
Lizzie goes on vacation with friends, and meets Dante, a well-known chef. A serious illness, famous friends, and a teenage daughter all play in the mix of this unique romance.
The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, by Colleen Oakley
Piper lives on small Frick Island. Her husband, Tom, is deceased—the result of a tragic fishing accident. Love in the community is very apparent, with the entire populace supporting Piper in her loss. Anders is a reporter, sent to cover the island’s Cake Walk. What could possibly happen?
Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruf
Addie and Louis are neighbors, with both of their much-loved spouses now deceased. Both of their families have grown and moved away. One night, Addie goes to visit Louis with a proposal. A beautiful story, and a beautiful tribute to love that is everlasting.
Razorblade Tears, by S.A. Cosby
Two men—who are essentially strangers to one another—unite to solve the deaths of their sons who were married to each other. The love in this book pours forth through the mistakes made in most of the lives involved—and the lives left after these young men are gone.
The Kind Worth Killing, by Peter Swanson
Two strangers meet and start sharing stories about their respective spouses. These stories aren’t exactly positive and they come to the conclusion that if they’re so bad, then maybe they’re worth killing. Was there ever love? And is one faking love to attain another goal?
The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein
A man and his dog. A dog that’s always by his side. A big part of the family and the love they share. No more words to say . . .
The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, by Annie Lyons
Eudora is set in her ways and has decided she has had enough of life. Before she can act on this decision, she meets a few new people, but her plan has still been set in motion. Love can take a long time to come to some.
I hope you find a good story or two here. Most are not labeled romance, but it is sometimes hard to label something as nuanced as love. Love is in our hearts, and our eyes, and if we are lucky, in our lives for a long, long time.
