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Celebrating the Quiet Moments



In a modern world that is full of noise, rush, and hurry, A Walk with Grandpere: Mickeys Souvenirs encourages the reader to find the bravery to tune down the noise and rush and reinstill the sense of the remarkable beauty in the silent aspects of life. The book is an ode to the generational journey of a loved one, small and gentle experiences that can transform us into better people, create the warmest memories, and the knowledge of what is really important to us through the tender, multi-generational experience of Mickey as a young girl, as an adult, and finally, as a loving grand-mother.

The novel begins when seven-year-old Mickey comes with her family to the Maine seashores to spend their annual summer holiday. With her parents and her little brother PJ besides her, and her favorite French grandfather, Pipere, Mickey enters a world of simple pleasures: seal shells scattered on the beach, tide pools teaming with small living creatures, and the salty smell of the sea. Nevertheless, it is during the quiet, serene practices that she engages in with Pipere when that core of the story becomes implanted. Their morning strolls at sunrise turn out to be the spirit of the story- carefree, calm scenes that leave a lasting trace on the life of Mickey.

Mickey is taken on a tour of the beach with her grandfather before the world opens up. There is no sound or distraction in these moments, and it provides her with an opportunity to observe, think and feel so connected with nature and Pipere. It is through these silent strolls that the book brings out a strong reality that the best things which occur in our lives are usually when we stop, listen and just be with those people whom we care about.

As Mickey matures, the book still underlines the significance of small shared experiences. The family and their light outings to the candy shop to get saltwater taffy, their picnics on the beach, lazy afternoons in shell collecting and their annual practice of getting a souvenir mean everything to them.

Among the saddest scenes is one when Mickey comes home to France with a hand-carved pipe in his grandfather- a present given out of the heart. The symbolic silence is strong when she afterward locates that same caliber of pipe in the hands of Pipere at his funeral. It symbolizes the long-term relationship both of them have had and the valence attached to their ostensibly straightforward instances together.

The story is brought to a closure years later when Mickey is a grandmother. She takes her six grandchildren back to the Maine seashores in hopes she will offer them the kind of gifts she once got. She sees them playing in the tide pools, picking up sea shells and getting up early to watch the sun rise and she understands that the quiet time that she had with Pipere is now in the story of a new generation. Even the fact that her mother has a pearl-handled knife in a drawer in the kitchen is quieting the moment, some evidence that not all memories are forgotten, that they are sometimes rediscovered.

In a very touching episode of the book, Mickey sees a halo-like cloud floating over the beach. She senses the presence of Pipere at that moment, silence making her feel the presence of the crusty in form once again; an indication that love never leaves us alone.

A Walk With Grandpere: Mickey Souvenirs at its core is an ode to those treasured occasions that make up a lifetime. It is a reminder to readers of the fact that not the grand events but the mundane experiences of being with loved ones that form our hearts and stick there indefinitely.

Contact:

Author: Michelle Dahl
Website: https://michelledahlbooks.com/
Amazon: https://a.co/d/7ntUAlo
Client email: mdahlart@yahoo.com

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