And oh he wished for another chance, then. He wished it with all his might. He would give anything. Yes. Anything. The thought went from his brain into his tingling fingers: He would trade, if he could. He would walk away from Allie and his new life, if only he could return, if he could walk through the front door of this house and into his old life again.
I picked up You Came Back at the Gathering of Writers - Christopher Coake was the keynote speaker. I heard good things about it, and I'm making an effort this year to read more Indiana authors, or at least authors from the Midwest. You Came Back is set in Columbus, Ohio, but makes some side trips to Indianapolis, like the Butler University campus.
It's the story of a father reeling, years later, from the accidental death of his only child, Brendan. A freak accident, the boy having fallen down the stairs, it tore Mark and his wife Chloe apart. Now divorced, Mark is newly engaged to his girlfriend Allison. He still thinks of Brendan daily, but is slowly making a new life for himself. That is, until a woman arrives to tell him that she lives in his old house, and she believes his son is haunting it.
This announcement sends Mark into a spiral of grief and anger, disbelief, belief, reconnection with his ex-wife, and throws his new life into turmoil. But this novel is not really a ghost story, at least not primarily. It's really a story of loss, and grief. Not being a parent, I know that I can't imagine the complete and utter loss at the loss of a child, but Christopher Coake paints a vivid picture. It reminded me of The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler, an amazing novel I read years ago but which I think of often, also about the loss of a child and the parents trying to find a way to go on, if that's even possible. Their loss and confusion is what makes the characters feel real. The mystery - is Brendan really in the house? And if so, what will be done? - kept me turning pages late in the night.
I read this book eating lunch in a Qdoba and had to fight back tears so I didn't seem like the crazy sad woman crying over a burrito. If you are looking for a lighthearted "beach read" this probably isn't your book. But if you want a book to make you feel something, even if that something is love and loss, this is a good one.
