When God Broke Grandma's Heart (Paperback)

Ўουέ έκ γκαδ The Grandma Series, Book One: WHEN GOD BROKE GRANDMA'S HEART A NOVEL When God Broke Grandma's Heart is a heartwarming and uplifting story of triumph; the journey of a woman who would not give up, who tackled life's tragedies and willed herself to react to her circumstances with integrity. When she feels she can endure no more, her stalwart spirit and her faith in God help her find a new world of understanding and teaches her that the purest gold can be made from the ashes of despair. It is a story that answers the age-old question of why bad things happen to good people. The fictitious "Mrs. Meany," the death of her brother, and the venomous jealousy of her sister shape her early life. Her teenage years bring a short respite, but when she marries, she suffers abuse and betrayal and fear reenters her life. Unable to find the courage to leave, worried about her children and struggling alone in her heartache, she survives by allowing her mind to deny the reality of her husband's cruelty. Miraculously, instead of hardening her heart, these difficulties shape her into a more lovely and kindhearted young woman, mature beyond her years. Opening with a Prologue, titled Reminisces, the story begins with the description of the chair and the elegantly dressed woman seated at a window overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. Her white hair is formed into a chignon and her face turned toward the magnificent view. She becomes lost in thought, reminiscing about the past, wondering if she's met her challenges in a way that was pleasing to God. The reader journeys with this still pretty woman as she recalls with a sense of sadness themistakes she's made. She feels an urgency to share her learning experiences with her grandchildren, but wonders if they will listen, if they will understand their importance. The prologue ends with her decision to write a journal. She believes that if she tells her story, it will help explain why we go through heartache and how it changes us for the better. She longs to explain the reasons for life's tragedies. She wants to help others understand. Chapter One, titled The Granddaughter, opens with a distinctive change in the rhythm of the narration. The granddaughter, who has a younger more "hip" personality and describes her self as a tomboy becomes the narrator. The reader forms the impression that this young woman is well grounded and has a down-to earth approach to life and a gentle heart. The granddaughter has a Master's degree in psychology, is working toward her Doctorate degree, and loves her job as a special needs educator working with mentally and physically challenged children. She longs to make a difference in the lives of these children, realizing that she is like her grandmother in her need to teach and help. When her grandmother asks her help to write her story, she balks at the suggestion because she has neither the journalistic skills nor the time to spend on such a project. She feels that her grandmothers' story couldn't be important enough to warrant all that effort. But, she loves her grandmother and doesn't want to disappoint her. Her grandmother promises not to infringe on her other obligations and suggests that writing will hone her journalistic skills and help her develop her thesis. She recalls a lifetime of conversations with her grandmother and those things sheadmires about her grandmother. She notices how old and tired her grandmother looks and she sees that this is journal is important to her grandmother. Her heart softens. She cannot say no and capitulates to her grandmother's request. Chapter Two, titled Grandma, begins with the tale of the grandmother's life as seen from the perspective of the granddaughter. Gathering photos, letters, and home movies, the granddaughter researches her grandmother's life and meets the precocious, talented little girl that her grandmother had bee