I have never been let down by any of Tom Perrotta's books. Maybe left feeling a little uncertain....and a little uncomfortable. He really makes you think. This book is no different. It tells the story of people in small New England town after a Rapture-like event that becomes known as the Sudden Departure. And just like the Left Behind series of books, you're left scratching your head about who went and who didn't. It's not a religious book by any means and contains Perrotta's witty and sometimes scathing sense of humor that repeat readers would expect. But it does make you think. Think about what your life would be about without the rush, rush of oh so many commitments. How you would feel if everything you believed and considered important was suddenly turned on its ear. And then the biggest question: what do you do now?
This story might take a minute to tell. Bear with me. When my sister and I were little girls, my mother took us to a large baptist church in town. Even as a child, I never remember feeling welcome there. But I do remember the lovely older couple that kept my Sunday School class. They gave us saltines and kool-aid, and I remember thinking they would be nice grandparents to have. At Christmastime, the Sunday School class was set to have a random gift exchange. Every child was supposed to bring a gift that could be exchanged with any other child.....no specific gift designations. I received the gift of an Avon 7 bead necklace which was very popular at the time. I loved it so much and was thrilled to have it! I was somewhere between 5 and 7 at the time. (Back in the 1970's and 80's, Avon was a cosmetic company that was also known for it's inexpensive jewelry. I couldn't find a price on what this necklace would have cost back then, but apparently there is ...

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