Wally Lamb Boeken

De levensgeschiedenis van een Amerikaanse eeneiïge tweeling van wie er één schizofreen is.

Als de 47-jarige docent Caelum Quirk en zijn vrouw Maureen, een schoolverpleegster, naar Colorado verhuizen, komen ze beiden op dezelfde middelbare school te werken. In 1999 keert Caelum voor een paar dagen terug naar zijn geboorteplaats Three Rivers, Connecticut, om bij zijn stervende tante te zijn. Wanneer hij op een morgen de televisie aanzet, ziet hij beelden van hun school: Columbine High School, waar zich op dat moment een drama afspeelt. En hij weet: zijn vrouw is die dag op de school aan het werk. Maureen bevindt zich inderdaad in de school en is getuige van het bloedbad. Wonderbaarlijk genoeg overleeft ze het drama, maar ze betaalt daarvoor een hoge tol: ze kan het trauma niet te boven komen. Caelum en Maureen ontvluchten Colorado om op de familieboerderij in Three Rivers een illusie van veiligheid te hervinden. Terwijl Maureen er alles aan doet om weer de oude te worden, stuit Caelum in een van de slaapkamers van het huis op oude dagboeken, brieven en krantenknipsels. Het intrigerende verhaal dat zij vertellen omspant vijf generaties Quirks, vanaf de Amerikaanse burgeroorlog tot Caelums eigen problematische jeugd. Stukje bij beetje reconstrueert Caelum het leven van de vrouwen en mannen wier erfenis hij met zich meedraagt en hij ontdekt de schokkende waarheid over zijn eigen afkomst. Lang begraven gevoelens van angst, boosheid, schuld en verdriet komen boven - maar leiden ook tot inzicht en tot hoop voor de toekomst.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of Oprah Bookclub Picks I Know This Much Is True and She's Come Undone comes the heart wrenching story of a young father who, after an unbearable tragedy, reckons with the possibility of atonement for the unforgivable"--

In a stunning work of insight and hope, New York Times bestselling author Wally Lamb once again reveals his unmatched talent for finding humanity in the lost and lonely and celebrates the transforming power of the written word. For several years, Lamb has taught writing to a group of women prisoners at York Correctional Institution in Connecticut. In this unforgettable collection, the women of York describe in their own words how they were imprisoned by abuse, rejection, and their own self-destructive impulses long before they entered the criminal justice system. Yet these are powerful stories of hope and healing, told by writers who have left victimhood behind. In his moving introduction, Lamb describes the incredible journey of expression and self-awareness the women took through their writing and shares how they challenged him as a teacher and as a fellow author. Couldn't Keep It to Myself is a true testament to the process of finding oneself and working toward a better day.

The transformative power of writing is at the heart of this collection, showcasing the voices of women from a maximum-security prison. Through their essays, participants in Wally Lamb's workshop confront personal fears and envision new possibilities for their lives. Each piece is a testament to resilience, revealing diverse experiences that underscore the potential for self-awareness and change through storytelling. Startling and inspiring, these intimate narratives highlight the profound impact of the written word on personal growth and healing.

In this extraordinary coming-of-age odyssey, Wally Lamb invites us to hitch a wild ride on a journey of love, pain, and renewal with the most heartbreakingly comical heroine to come along in years. Meet Dolores Price. She's 13, wise-mouthed but wounded, having bid her childhood goodbye. Stranded in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallomars, potato chips, and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally orbits into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she's determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before she really goes under.

The story explores the aftermath of a tragic school shooting through the experiences of Caelum Quirk and his wife, Maureen, who both work at Columbine High School. After Maureen survives a harrowing ordeal during the attack, their attempt to escape to a seemingly safe family farm in Connecticut reveals that the trauma and chaos from the event linger, impacting their lives in profound ways. The narrative delves into themes of survival, the search for safety, and the enduring effects of violence.

As Annie Oh's wedding day approaches, she finds herself at the mercy of hopes and fears about the momentous change ahead. She has just emerged from a twenty-five year marriage to Orion Oh, which produced three children, but is about to marry a woman named Viveca, a successful art dealer, who specializes in outsider art. Trying to reach her ex-husband, she keeps assuring everyone that he is fine. Except she has no idea where he is. But when Viveca discovers a famous painting by a mysterious local outside artist, who left this world in more than mysterious circumstances, Orion, Annie and Viveca's new dynamic becomes fraught.

When forty-seven-year-old high school teacher Caelum Quirk and his younger wife, Maureen, move to Littleton, Colorado, they both secure jobs at Columbine High School. In April 1999, Caelum travels back to Three Rivers, Connecticut, to care for his aunt after her stroke, leaving Maureen behind. She finds herself trapped in the school library, hiding from two vengeful students on a premeditated shooting spree. Miraculously, she survives, but the trauma leaves her unable to heal. The couple flees to the Quirk family farm in Three Rivers, seeking safety, but the chaos lingers, leading to further tragedy. As Maureen battles to reclaim her sanity, Caelum uncovers old diaries, letters, and newspaper clippings in his family's home. These documents reveal a rich history spanning five generations of Quirk ancestors, from the Civil War to Caelum's own troubled upbringing. As he pieces together their stories, long-buried emotions of fear, anger, guilt, and grief resurface. Caelum confronts unexpected revelations from the past while striving to build a future from the remnants of tragedy. His quest for meaning and faith transforms into a mythic journey that resonates with contemporary American themes.