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The Laws of Harmony: A Novel
by Judith R. Hendricks
Paperback : 480 pages
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Introduction
Sunny Cooper has been running since she was eighteen—from the New Mexican commune where she grew up . . . and from the haunting memory of the freak accident that took the life of her younger sister. Now, at thirty-two, Sunny voices radio spots in Albuquerque while struggling to hold on to a floundering relationship. But when a second tragic accident—and the devastating truths that come to light in its aftermath—turns her world upside down, Sunny runs again. In the town of Harmony on San Miguel Island, she takes a new job, learns to ride a motorcycle, and makes some surprising new friends. But the past is never far behind. A startling discovery—along with an emotional and revelatory reunion with her estranged mother—is forcing Sunny to step out from the shadows of yesterday to embrace an uncertain future.
Excerpt
P r o l o g u eI was born at sunrise on June 3, 1971, on a commune near Taos, New Mexico. Delivery was accomplished with the help of a midwife as my mother squatted, panting, on her mattress, surrounded by her commune sisters, panting in sympathy, cheering her on. ...
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Discussion Questions
Sunny Cooper has been running since she was eighteen—from the New Mexican commune where she grew up . . . and from the haunting memory of the freak accident that took the life of her younger sister. Now, at thirty-two, Sunny voices radio spots in Albuquerque while struggling to hold on to a floundering relationship. But when a second tragic accident—and the devastating truths that come to light in its aftermath—turns her world upside down, Sunny runs again.In the town of Harmony on San Miguel Island, she takes a new job, learns to ride a motorcycle, and makes some surprising new friends. But the past is never far behind. A startling discovery—along with an emotional and revelatory reunion with her estranged mother—is forcing Sunny to step out from the shadows of yesterday to embrace an uncertain future.
Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
THE LAWS OF HARMONY began with a clipping from the Taos, NM News…“Accident Claims Child's Life at Party.” June 21, 1979-a summer solstice party at a commune in Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico. During the festivities two children who were playing on the roof of a pueblo, fell through a glass skylight onto the stone floor below. One child walked away, but the other suffered two deep puncture wounds in the chest, and died within minutes. That image sparked the story of Sunny Cooper, the (fictional) surviving child. Being an avid mystery reader, I suppose it was natural to want to write a mystery, and on one level, I did. Well, perhaps a mini-mystery…What really happened to Sunny's fiancé, Michael? What's on the CD that she discovers tucked into an Emmylou Harris jewel case? Who killed the computer guru? But mainly this is a story about the persistence of the past-how it shapes the present, and even the future. How we all seem to repeat our mistakes, sometimes our parents' mistakes as well, as if by repeating them we could finally make things right. And Sunny discovers, as we all do, that the only way out of the past is straight through its heart. I hope you'll visit my brand new website, www.judihendricks.com. And thanks for reading! Judi Hendricks “[Hendricks] calls to mind Barbara Kingsolver in her affinity for wise women and the power of close female friendships…”-BooklistBook Club Recommendations
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