JUNIOR REPORTER Book Review After
How will Lacey Mann try to recover from a tragic accident that left her father dead and her family falling apart? In this story, 「After」 by Kristin Harmel, Lacey experiences some hard realities. Her older brother gets drunk for fun, her younger brother becomes reserved, and sullen, and her mother, who used to be there for them, becomes obsessed with work and is oblivious to how her children are. While Lacey blames herself for her father’s death and insist that she could have finished getting ready earlier, she hides it by doing well in school and hanging out with her best friend. However, Lacey has to deal with stares in the halls, whispers, and students and adults insisting that they understand her feelings and care. All she wants now is to be treated normally and for people to forget about her father’s death. One day, a cool and kind guy, Sam Stone, transfers into her school. They soon become close friends. Lacey falls in love but wanting to stay away from heartbreak and feeling that Sam was another per- son who simply was pretending to care, she guards her heart. When Lacey is asked to help out a girl who lost a mother, she has an idea to create a club where students who lost their parents could have fun and be treated normally. It wasn’t exactly a club about grief, but it was a place where they could be themselves. She is soon surprised at the success the club is and is even more surprised to find that Sam has joined. He had lost his father. Learn- ing this, Lacey gives Sam a chance and goes out with him. However, she learns something about Sam that makes her wonder if she could ever forgive him for not telling her. And, if she ever does forgive, would she be able to trust him? This book is a heartwarming story about learning to cope with grief, learning to let go, and most importantly, learning to forgive. It is full
36 EDUCATION December 2012
of happiness, hope, and trust. When I read this story, I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. It felt as if I were a part of the story and the characters. I would advise that this story should be read by eleven years olds and up. From this story, you can learn that you’re not the only one experiencing some of the hardest obstacles in life, but that you will never be alone.
아빠의 죽음과 가족의 붕괴를 가져 온 참담한 사고에서 벗어나기 위해 레이시 만은 어떤 노력을 하게 될까 요? 크리스틴 하멜이 쓴 「애프터」 에서 레이시는 힘든 현실을 경험합 니다. 오빠는 술에 빠지고, 남동생
은 말수가 줄고 침울해진데다, 곁에 있어주던 엄마는 일에만 매달리며 아이 들에게 무심해집니다. 레이시는 아빠의 죽음을 자신의 탓으로 돌리며 그 때 좀 더 일찍 나갈 채비를 끝냈더라면 하고 자책하지만, 학교생활 잘 하고 단 짝 친구와 어울리면서 그런 마음을 숨깁니다. 하지만 레이시가 상대해야 하 는 건 복도에서 마주치는 눈길들과 속삭임, 자신의 맘을 이해한다며 염려해 주는 학생들과 어른들입니다. 지금 레이시가 바라는 건 보통 아이처럼 대해 주는 것, 그리고 사람들이 아빠의 죽음을 잊어주는 것뿐인데 말이지요. 그러던 어느 날, 멋지고 친절한 샘 스톤이라는 남학생이 레이시의 학교로 전학을 옵니다. 둘은 금새 가까운 친구가 되지요. 레이시는 사랑에 빠지지 만 상처받고 싶지 않은 마음에, 그리고 샘 역시 그저 걱정해주는 척 하는 또 한 사람일 뿐이라는 생각에 마음을 열지 않습니다. 그러던 레이시는 엄 마를 잃은 한 여학생을 도와달라는 부탁을 받고서 부모를 여읜 아이들이 재미있게 놀 수 있고 보통 아이들처럼 취급 받을 수 있는 그런 클럽을 만들 어 보자는 생각을 합니다. 애도하는 클럽이 아닌, 아이들 스스로가 그들이 될 수 있는 바로 그런 공간이었죠. 레이시는 곧 클럽의 성공에 놀라게 되고 샘이 클럽에 가입한 것을 알고서 는 더욱 놀라게 됩니다. 샘 역시 아빠를 잃었던 것이었죠. 그 사실을 알고 난 레이시는 샘에게 기회를 주고 둘은 사귀게 됩니다. 그러나 레이시는 샘
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84