BOOK DESCRIPTION
Art teacher Daniel Benedetto has cystic fibrosis. At thirty-four, he's already outlived his doctor's "expiration date," but that doesn't stop him from giving all he can to his students and his work. When he takes on Caitlin, his landlady's daughter, as a private student, the budding teen painter watches in torment as other people, especially women, treat Daniel like a freak because of his condition. To Caitlin, Daniel is not a disease, not someone to pity or take care of but someone to care for, a friend, and her first real crush. Convinced one of those women is about to hurt him, Caitlin makes one very bad decision.
AUTHOR BIO
Laurie Boris is a freelance writer, editor, proofreader, and former graphic designer with a long history of ignoring housework and pots on the stove to sneak in "just a few more pages" of her novels. She has had her short fiction published in small magazines and on the Web. She is the author of two novels, The Joke's on Me and Drawing Breath. When not playing with the universe of imaginary people in her head, she enjoys baseball, cooking, reading, and helping aspiring novelists as a contributing writer and editor for IndiesUnlimited.com. She lives in New York's lovely Hudson Valley with her very patient husband, Paul Blumstein, a commercial illustrator and website designer.
REVIEWS
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Daniel is in his mid-thirties. A school teacher by profession an artist by talent and desire and a man who happens to have Cystic Fibrosis. He lives alone in an apartment where he is protective of his privacy. Less concerned about his privacy and more concerned about his health his sister visits often. Her love apparent but sometimes stifling, she tries to push and prod him to take better care of himself.
Caitlin is a teenaged girl with a budding artistic talent which Daniel helps to foster. Hiding an adolescent crush on him she tries to learn the basics of fine art while she worships the object of her first love. Imagining herself an important famous artist with Daniel by her side she lives in the world of first crush that only a very young woman can.
Well written with a keen eye to detail and finely drawn characters Mrs. Boris draws the reader into the story with finesse' and skill. She includes the back stories at just the right moment giving us only the amount of information necessary. The dialogue is realistic and moves the story forward without wasted conversation or explanation.
I enjoyed this novel and was impressed with the way the author handled the very real depiction of a person who is suffering from a life threatening disease. While she elicits our sympathy she does not become overly maudlin, nor does she manipulate the reader.
I recommend this book highly.
Format:Kindle Edition
Drawing Breath, the second novel by talented wordsmith Laurie Boris, is an achingly beautiful story of friendship and growing pains, and ultimately, of love - specifically the lengths a girl on the cusp of womanhood is willing to go to prove her love and fix a terrible mistake she's made before it's too late. Vivid, realistic characters in all-too-real situations drew me in, while the even pace held me in a firm yet tender grip all the way to the end. It got me in the guts and left me breathless.
OTHER WORKS
Thank you, Paula, for letting me visit!
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