The Rockin’ Chair by Steven Manchester Review & Giveaway
About The Rockin’ Chair
Memories are the ultimate contradiction. They can warm us on our coldest days – or they can freeze a loved one out of our lives forever. The McCarthy family has a trove of warm memories. Of innocent first kisses. Of sumptuous family meals. Of wondrous lessons learned at the foot of a rocking chair. But they also have had their share of icy ones. Of words that can never be unsaid. Of choices that can never be unmade. Of actions that can never be undone.Following the death of his beloved wife, John McCarthy – Grandpa John – calls his family back home. It is time for them to face the memories they have made, both warm and cold. Only then can they move beyond them and into the future.
A rich portrait of a family at a crossroad, The Rockin’ Chair is Steven Manchester’s most heartfelt and emotionally engaging novel to date. If family matters to you, it is a story you must read.
My thoughts:
The Rockin’ Chair is a beautiful and engaging story of a family dealing with loss, misunderstanding, personal demons and most importantly a story of a family coming together.
The story opens from the point of view of Alice, who is approaching death and living with Alzheimers. Manchester masterfully pulls the reader into the confusion brought on by this devastating disease by at first allowing the reader to believe she is a young girl only to reveal the truth that she is reliving a dismembered memory of the past.
When Alice passes on, her husband, John McCarthy, calls his family home and so the story really begins as we are introduced to each family member and their own struggles. Grandpa John regularly doles out loving wisdom in an effort to heal his family.
This is a truly emotional and healing book, I was left feeling uplifted and yet still oddly sad. This family could be any family, and Grandpa John’s wisdom applies to us all. The Rockin’ Chair is a wonderfully well written novel and I just can’t recommend it enough.
Read an excerpt:
Elle picked up Evan, Tara and Lila at the airport. As she approached the threesome, she gasped at the sight of her emaciated daughter. For a few moments, Tara’s eyes scanned every inch of her mother’s face before she spread her twig-like arms. Elle hugged her, then pulled away and peered into her sunken eyes. “Are you sick?” she asked.
While Tara shrugged, Elle grabbed Evan for a hug. “I’ll explain it on the way,” he whispered in her ear.
Lila stood there, looking up at her grandmother—curiously.
Elle bent down and smiled at the baby. “Hello, my love,” she whispered, “Grandma’s waited much too long to meet you.” The little girl was a living doll. She had Tara’s strawberry blond curls and the same dark eyes as Alice.
Lila grinned. “Hi, Gramma,” she said, and never flinched when Elle scooped her up and kissed her cheek.
Elle looked back at Tara and could feel her eyes swell with tears.
“Grandma?” Evan asked, grabbing her attention.
Elle shook her head, the tears beginning to cascade down her tired face.
“When?” he asked.
Elle reached for his hand. “Last night…right in Grampa’s lap.”
“In the rockin’ chair?” he asked, his voice cracking.
Elle nodded again.
Evan’s eyes filled. “Where else?” he said.
Elle noticed the confusion in her daughter’s eyes and thought, She’s so out of it.
Before Elle could explain, Evan leaned into Tara’s ear and filled it with the bad news. “We’re one day too late. Grandma passed away last night.”
Though delayed, Tara burst into tears.
As they left the airport terminal, Elle walked alongside Evan. “How did you find her in New York?” she asked in a whisper. “Her cell phone’s been turned off for weeks.” She looked back at her daughter, who was already lagging behind.
“It wasn’t easy,” he said, and shook his head. “Let’s just say…thank God I did.”
About Steven Manchester:
Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestseller Twelve Months, Goodnight, Brian, and several other books. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning and BET’s Nightly News. Recently, three of Manchester’s short stories were selected “101 Best” for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!
time with my dad
The birth of my son
the first time my son spoke
The birth of each one of my babies 🙂
Celebrating Christmas Eve with brothers and sisters.
time spent with the family.
Sitting at the table playing rummy with my Grandmother.
Any memories of my Dad
I cherish the memory from the moment I found out I was pregnant for my daughter. We had been trying for a long time and to see that positive on the pregnancy test was the best feeling ever!
I was a young girl when my father passed so the few memories I have are priceless!
I have a special memory of my mom on Valentine’s Day. It was one of the last ones I had with my mom, as she passed when I was quite young.
Memories of my grandfather are very dear to me.
The birth of my kids.
I would have to say the birth of my grand sons
I have too say my trip too London I will always have wonderful memories of it.
The handful of summer and holday visits in Ohio with my grandparents and aunts, uncles, and cousins I rarely got to spend time with.
Going to my grandparents house every new years day.
My most treasured memory is having slumber parties with my mom & siblings.
Time with both my parents as well as my inlaws…..long ago and still missing
Seeing my baby boy for the first time.
My marriage to my husband and the birth of my two sons.
Sounds like a great read, I would love to win:)
I would have to say the obvious, each of my three daughters’ births and our wedding day. I also cherish a lot of memories of my paternal Grandmother who was the most wonderful lady and a great inspiration to me. Thanks for this WONDERFUL giveaway! I really hope I win this one….
Goodness, my treasured memory is holding my son in my hands for the first time.
Sitting in a chair with my dad watching hockey (way back when there was only the original six teams).
My daughter, holding her baby he was about 9 months old at the time. Just the way they looked at each other… even at that moment I thought, I never want to forget this… he passed away a month later… I’ve never forgotten.
Many thanks for the wonderful review, and for sharing THE ROCKIN’ CHAIR with your readers!
My pleasure, thank you for visiting!
I will never forget the birth of my daughter.
Always time spent with family – but some of my most treasured memories are during the times spent with my grandmother. I learned so much from her. Especially in her later stages of cancer, I was on mat leave and able to spend weeks at a time with her.
rainy days with the kids
giving birth to my beautiful children
My most cherished memories are of being pregnant with, giving birth to & raising our 4 children.
Giving birth to both my kids and watching them grow
The birth of my children
The first time my kids REALLY looked at me.
Watching my mother graduate college as an adult.
Thanks for the chance.
my children’s births – what I remember of them, I was passing in and out of consciousness throughout both deliveries.
Every memory of my mother 🙂
memories of my mother especially the holidays
memories of me and my mother spending time together.
Playing with my little brother the day before he died
My most treasured memories are of my babies when they were newborns.
The birth of my children is perhaps my most memorable memory.
The birth of my children
My last 10 day camping trip on Lake Huron.
My grandpap taking me to drive the fist time
Giving brith to my daughter
Giving brith to my children
Moving not my first townhouse during college!
Learning how to cook when I was 8!
I was extremely sick when I was years old and I do have a distinct memory of being pushed in a wheelchair outside to get fresh air. I think this was done about every day for 3 months and I remember the person helping me. He was a volunteer and now that is one of the reasons I am a hospital volunteer.
The birth of each one of my children.
birth of both my children, oh and the first time the red wings won the stanley cup in 39 years in 1997. Happened to be the same day my son was born; do you know how close he was to being named stanley!
Seeing the ocean for the first time
I cherish most the births of my kids
me and my twin being silly when we were little
Maklng cookies with Mom and my Brother before Christmas each year!
the memory that i treasure the most is the day i met my husband, my life changed for the better that day!
Growing p with my parents is my favorite memory.
my most treasured memory is when my oldest held my youngest for the first time!!! it made me cry and it still makes me cry to this day and it was almost 3 yrs ago
Absolutely has to be the birth of my children. Steven, Zoe, and Mavi.
The birth of my children
The 1st time I held each of my sons when they were born!
the moment my son was born…
My Grandma’s Quilt
I enjoyed this book.
This sounds like such a heartwarming book.