The Law of Loving Others by Kate Axelrod
Emma feels left in the dark about her mother’s illness. Her mother has been diagnosed with schizophrenia for years and it’s just now, when Emma is home for break from boarding school that 17 year-old Emma is hearing these words for the first time. Was it fair to keep this information from Emma if her mother’s illness was properly medicated? I had to applaud the husband for loving his wife and seeing her for who she was and not seeing just an illness or a burden. Emma’s reaction to the news is devastating. She becomes this other person. She begins to mourn the life of the mother she used to have even though her mother is still alive and this is the first time that Emma has ever seen a setback in her mother’s health. Emma’s also starts to treat her boyfriend terribly. Using her boyfriend as a crutch, she sets high expectations but she herself is a yo-yo with her emotions and behavior. I was appalled and found myself yelling at her, I sure was glad she was fictional character. Emma is consumed by this diagnose, it’s was amazing that this novel is consumed by this single notion of Emma’s and it carried the dram and its implications so well. Emma does find some relief in her pain as she lifts the corner of her pants and eases the flame towards her ankle. The metal wheel that exposed the flame provided the relief from the hurting, at least for the time being. She knows the plastic lighters will always be there for when the pain became too much.
