But for Tess, a new life begins at her death, in post-Civil War America. She is now Amarylis Rafferty, wife and mother of three -- and she can hear. Shocked and disoriented by her new surroundings, she is drawn into the savage heartache burdening the family, especially her husband, Jack.
Pioneer living is rough for a woman used to modern conveniences, but Tess flourishes, bringing happiness and hope to her daughters and her son -- to all except her husband, a man haunted by angry, violent voices that give no rest to his bitter soul. A man who fears himself capable of anything."
But Tess's faith is unshakable. Sheer determination will drive her as their hearts become entwined in a fierce struggle that can be tamed only by love itself....
I read this book a long time ago; it was originally published in 1993. I never really forgot it, and recently I've been wanting to read it again, so I sat down last night and re-read it.
Once in Every Life begins with Tess Gregory's death and subsequent rebirth into the adult body of Amarylis Rafferty. Tess meets a spirit named Carol, a giver of second chances, who allows Tess to make a choice between lives. A glimpse of a man standing over a newborn baby in a crib makes Tess's heart lurch; the love he has for the tiny infant draws Tess to him, and she hits the button reflexively. Her choice is made.
When Tess wakes up, she doesn't remember the choice - at first. But she can hear voices around her - a doctor saying he thought she'd died. Amarylis Rafferty died in childbirth, and then Tess realizes she is in the body of a woman who just gave birth.
Her husband, Jack, treats her warily, asking if she wants to see the baby. Two little girls enter the room, Savannah and Mary Katherine, also known as Katie. Suddenly, Tess has become a mother of three. But why is seven-year-old Katie hiding behind her sister's skirts? And why is there fear and trepidation in twelve-year-old Savannah's eyes when she hands her mother the newborn boy?
As the days progress, Tess becomes accustomed to Amarylis's body. She learns to breastfeed the baby, and fully feels a mother's love for the infant they call Caleb, and the two broken little girls . Jack is stunned by her decision to breastfeed; Amarylis didn't do that for her other children. Jack is shocked by a good many things, yet he won't let his guard down. Tess wonders - exactly what did Amarylis do to her family? They're all so broken and fearful.
Throughout the story, the reader sees that Amarylis has made Jack afraid to openly love his children; they are just one more thing she can use to hurt him. Tess understands this, she wants them to know she is no longer Amarylis; she insists on being called Lissa and maintains that she is no longer as she was before. The doctor says it's amnesia. Jack finds himself hoping - just a little - that the old Amarylis is gone forever, but she has "tricked" him before.
Tess has a huge job ahead of her, mending this broken group of damaged people into a family. Slowly, as trust is gained, the seeds of hope are planted. Could there be a future for the Rafferty family?
The characters are wonderfully likable, even if I fully didn't understand how a man could stand by and be abused by a woman - and keep loving her, despite the fact that she was a destroyer of lives. I know Jack was damaged, wounded by the past, yet I found him to be a little wimpy at times. Until I got to understand him a little more ;)
Tess is amazing. She is strong and determined, yet remembers her own feelings of being shuffled between foster homes and the longing for a family of her own. Adapting to a pioneering way of life proves a little difficult, and Tess's trials are sometimes really funny, which brings the moments of comic relief needed between the pain.
Savannah, a child forced to grow up too soon, and little Katie, a child never held or told she was loved by her mother, are both sweet and heartwarming characters. I felt such pain from the girls, but as they started to believe in their mother again, they began to blossom and shine, bringing laughter into the Rafferty house and making it a home.
Savannah, a child forced to grow up too soon, and little Katie, a child never held or told she was loved by her mother, are both sweet and heartwarming characters. I felt such pain from the girls, but as they started to believe in their mother again, they began to blossom and shine, bringing laughter into the Rafferty house and making it a home.
I really loved this book!
-Aili
-Aili
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