Just A Drop Of Water

Just A Drop Of Water

YA novel
I'm sure you remember where you were September 11, 2001. You'll
probably remember the rest of your life. Like Pearl Harbor or
Kennedy's assassination, it's one of the most pivotal days in the past
century in America's history.
It was hard enough for many adult Americans to wrap our minds
around. Why were we targeted? What would happen next? Was this only
the beginning? Was life as we knew it to be relegated to memories of
an innocent past? How would we, as a nation, react? Would we go to
war? Color coded alarms, anthrax letters, the patriot act...
Where even those who had been around awhile were stunned, can we
imagine what these events were like for youngsters? Jake, protagonist
of Kerry O'Malley Cerra's Just A Drop Of Water, gives us a vivid
picture of a young man whose whole world seems to fall apart leaving
him nothing solid to stand on. He's most of his life planned to go
into the military. When he learns about the destruction of the Twin
Towers he's sure that we shouldn't let the perpetraters get away with
such an evil act. Too bad he isn't old enough to enlist. But when
schoolmates bully his muslim best friend, Sam, and Sam's father is
taken into custody by the FBI that doesn't seem right either. Even
his parents' actions are hard for him to understand. And what can he
do if any one person's actions are no larger than a drop of water in a
huge ocean?
Just A Drop of Water gives a poignant portrayal of a young man
coming of age under very confusing and challenging circumstances.
On a personal note, life always seems strange when a play ends.
Jungle Book, I am happy to report, was a total hit. We played to sold
out audiences who loved us.
A great big shout out goes out to the fellow cast members and crew who
became my Jungle Book family.
Julia Emily Hathaway



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