Many Waters solidified in my mind what makes L’Engle a talented writer, being able to explore Noah’s world without feeling as though a religious message was taking the focus from the story.

As with other novels by L’Engle, there was a fair amount of science interspersed with the story, and there were a few pages I found myself either reading multiple times to find some comprehension or skipping after a brief scan to make sure there was nothing major related to the plot that I was missing in the pages.

Even with these moments of science, which distracted me from the important story of Dennys and Sandy (the Murray twins who were only on the sidelines of the other novels of the Time Quartet), the story was still a fun read. An exploration of a world of which they are vaguely cognizant through passed Sunday School classes, the comprehension that reality is defined within the moment of experience, these are the themes I was so in love with.

Yes, the story ends before many of my questions regarding the flood could be answered. Yes, there were some pages that dragged a bit, and the exploration of the names of the nephilim got to be a bit too long-winded for me. Even with these faults, though, Many Waters was perhaps my favorite of the series. I was more at home within the story of the boys out of place within time, more at home within the story of intelligent characters but not super-geniuses.

This book had heart and promise… but it didn’t have much more for me. It didn’t follow through to the end in a way that I could respect, instead seeming to rely on an unexplained kiss between the two primary characters, Amanda and Thea to propel the story when it began to be just a rote recital of what each side of the mommy wars hates and envies about the other side.

And then the end was pivoted on September 11th, a moment in history that hit all of us, regardless of which side of the mommy war we might be on. Was this choice supposed to tie the two sides together, to show that impacted both sides with ferocity? Was it supposed to say that there are larger issues in the world we should be focusing on? Was it simply that Gross lost her point and needed to stop writing? I couldn’t tell.

Yes, Gross wrote both sides of the war well, allowing me, a mother who has lived both sides at least for a year each, to recognize moments, to remember the highs and lows of each. Yes, there is more to the story than simply preaching which side should win, for that I can give the novel a mediocre rating.

But, Gross didn’t surpass my expectations of a mommy war novel. The Other Mother met my feared expectations, didn’t sicken me, but also wasn’t able to enlighten me.

Zanna’s Gift: A Life in Christmases is a book I see myself coming back to year after year in December. It is the story of a family’s love, how to cope with the pitfalls, and how to embrace the peaks of life.

It made me laugh; it certainly made me cry. And both could happen within the same page, sometimes even the same paragraph, and not make me want to take medication for bi-polar disorder. Never once did the story feel strained, as my experience tends toward with stories of the meaning of life and love. Instead, it was a beautiful depiction of the highlights of life.

I loved how Orson Scott Card was able to maintain a sense of awe and mystery regarding the questions posed in life throughout the novella, but still allow the growth of the main character to feel natural and subtle through the years.

I did wish that more had been shared with me, but again, Card’s choices allowed me to feel as though the story was not built to teach, but rather to inspire. Perhaps sharing more would have made me want to ignore the beauty completely.

So, November was a whirlwind for me. I completed the NaNoWriMo challenge again, and I’m much happier with this work then with the other two years’ messes. It is not complete yet, but I did manage to get out over 50,000 words in November, and I didn’t even add in a novel title, author, chapter headings or a dedication this year.

Also, in writing it, I think I’ve found the work(s) that I might try to publish eventually. I see myself putting it out as a collection, centered around the 50,000 + word novella with a few supporting short stories.

Then, I got into a minor car accident. I’m fine. The van is already fixed, no biggie. For those of you who know my history well: NO, I’m not.

And I know this for sure… blood test and everything, as yesterday, I fainted in the shower. I have some faint bruising and a bump on my head and a larger bruise under my left arm from the impact with the shower door railing. My muscles are sore all over, but I wasn’t confused after the fall, which is a good sign. I have felt “off” for a few days, and the fainting spell solidified the need to go to the doctor, or the physician’s assistant, as she’s much easier to get in to see.

She started with that question, followed by others, all of which I was able to say that I felt strongly were not the cause…. but I’d rather have the blood test decide it than my own certainty-which-often-seems-to-be-wrong.

I got the results of the blood work today. All is “normal,” which considering the reaction I gave her to that question, I hope means what I think it means. (Yes, I’m talking in circles and vagueness. I don’t want to jinx the control I have in place.) So now, we’re in a wait and see period. If it happens again, I’m to get another immediate appointment and an MRI will be scheduled, and she’ll suggest I get back in to see Dr. Nguyen (neurologist from after the accident in 2004).

Given that I did just have a fender-bender (minor, but still physically jarring), I’ve requested that my insurance send paperwork for adding a medical claim, just in case. And to think, I scoffed at the lawyer’s letter that came just two days after the accident.