Some families are perceived by the world as being larger than life. When I was growing up one of the storied clans was the Kennedys. These days you have the Kardashians. Legions of people have insatiable curiosity about every facet of their lives and dream of becoming even a peripheral part of their world. But these families' stories can contain heart breaking tragedy as well as triumph. Chelsey Philpot's Even In Paradise shows becoming engaged with them can leave scars.
"The Buchanans' pull was as natural and strong as the moon on the tides, and when I was with them I was happy in the warmth of their reflected light.
If they had any sense of their collective charm, they never showed it...They were all royalty. They were all gods. They were all broken."
One fall night after lights out Charlie (Charlotte), a Saint Anne's junior, hears noises outside her dorm and saves a very drunk (and abandoned by her partying chums) Julia Buchanan from getting caught by the night patrol. The next morning she receives gifts and an invitation to Julia's dorm room.
When Julia decides that she and Charlie are meant to be friends Charlie's friends try unsuccessfully to warn her that this might not be such a good idea. To no avail. Soon she and Julia are spending all their free time together. It isn't always easy. Julia has a very mercurial temperament.
That summer Charlie spends a lot of time in Julia's mansion with her larger than life family including her crush worthy brother, Sebastian. She learns that to them she's more than just a guest. She's a good influence, protecting Julia from something never explicitly mentioned...
...perhaps well kept secrets about the tragic death of Julia's beloved older sister?
On a purrrsonal note, I had a really spooky experience last night. I was shade chasing and reading. At that moment I was in front of Eugene's new used truck. I heard a faint tick sound. As I looked at that truck all its lights came on with Eugene on the sofa inside watching the hunt for Bigfoot and the key fob on the kitchen counter. Thankfully the truck did not set off on a murderous rampage like Stephen King's Christine.
A great big shout out to Eugene for buying a non possessed (hopefully) truck.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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