Monday, March 24, 2008

How All This Started by Pete Fromm


Pete Fromm wrote one of my favorite books, Indian Creek Chronicles, and I was excited to read yet another by him! In fact, this book is an extension from a short story that I recently read by him from the book, Night Swimming.

How All This Started is about the relationship between two siblings as well as their relationship with their parents. Going from a fairly happy family where dad likes to talk about how the family started . . . the conception of his two kids in Abilene and Austin, Texas . . . . the birthplaces being the names of the children . . . to a family torn apart by the struggle with a mental illness . . . one that is often misunderstood, Bipoloar Disorder (or what is also known as Manic Depression). The main focus is from the perspective of Austin and how he deals with the absence and roller coaster of his sister Abilene; however, you also get a true sense of what this struggle is like for each member of the family. With baseball being intricately woven in throughout the story . . . from the building of the sibling's relationships, to a coping mechanism, and finally, to a healing right . . . the author once again makes a hit of his story and the family finally manages to deal with the disease with all its ups and downs.

Personally, I believe that Pete Fromm is amazing at developing his characters . . . and his characters are ones that many can easily relate to though the situations may not always be so. He has once again reinforced in my mind why I love his stories and why I will always come back for more!

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