Family Blessings (1995) (edit title/settings)

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Characters/People edit see section history

• Lee Reston: Mother of three children, Lee has forged on in her life after losing a baby and her husband. She also has a 23-yr. old daughter Janice, and a 14-yr. old son, Joey. She owns a florist shop with her married sister, Sylvia. Now, she is told that her oldest child, Greg, who was only 25, has just been killed.
• Christopher Lallek: Christopher is the best friend and roommate of Greg Reston, a young policeman who is killed on his motorcycle at the opening of this book. He takes on the unappetizing job of telling Greg's mother the awful news, being there for the family and doing many of the tough tasks that sudden death requires. Having lived an awful life as a child, Chris knows firsthand how wonderful, loving and fun Greg's family is.
• Janice Reston: Twenty-three years old, Janice is the younger sister of Greg, and Lee's daughter. She is in college, lives there but is within driving distance so she could be home once in a while. Janice has been interested in Chris since the first time she met him.
• Joey Reston: Joey is the fourteen-year old son of Lee, is a typical teenager in many ways, but when it counts, he shows his upbringing and knowledge of people.
• Lloyd Reston: Lloyd is Lee's deceased husband Bill's father. He is a caring, tender man who appreciates his daughter-in-law's ways of looking at life. He is instrumental in a happy ending to this story.
• Judd Quincy: Judd is a ten-year old child whose mother and father are abusive, are drug addicts and drunkards. Judd lives mostly on the streets but Chris has befriended him, watching out for him in order to try to keep him safe. Chris remembers too many times when his own life could have been that of Judd's and wants to show Judd how to effectively change those circumstances.
• Sylvia Eid: Sylvia is Lee Reston's married sister and co-owner of Absolutely Floral, their florist shop in Anoka, MN. Lee and Sylvia get along well, running the shop using their own special flairs for doing so. Sylvia's marriage has never seemed very romantic, and until circumstances change Lee has little idea that Sylvia even cares about what goes on in two people's lives.
• Greg Reston: Add a description of this character.
• Tom Gardner
• Bill
• Mavis
• Denny Whitman
• Jeannie
• Sandy Parker
• Ostrinski
• Nolan
• Nokes
• Grandma
• Anderson
• Kim
• Claire
• Cathy Switzer
• Grandpa
• Pete
• Jim Clements
• Rodney
• Dora Mae
• Marge
• Toni Mansetti
• Pat Galsworthy
• Jane
• Barry
• Mr. Pacey

Quotes edit see section history

• “Life is so full of sorrow, and we've had our share, haven't we, little one? But we'll weather this one, too. We know we can because we've done it before.”

  Lloyd to Lee after Greg's death.

• “If it'll make you feel better, promise yourself that from now on, you'll tell people how they matter to you. If you love someone, tell him.”

  Lee to Chris, on losing Greg.

• “I've been through this before, I'm an old hand at handling grief, and I know there's a good year or more of it ahead for both of us. I also know that it doesn't always strike you conveniently when you're off duty, or during daylight hours, or in the privacy of your own home. Grief is an ill-mannered bastard. It strikes you when you least expect it to.”

  Lee to Chris

• “"I just wanted to tell you one thing. Funerals aren't bad, Chris. If you think about it, they're really for the living.”

  Lee to Chris

• “Sometimes we've got to do things whether we're bummed out or not. I didn't mind doing it, but you're right. You and Joey should have helped her today. She needed you.”

  Chris to Janice

• “Well, let me add a new wrinkle.”

  Chris to Lee

• “I imagine women can do some pretty dumb things when a younger man pays them some attention after years of none at all.”

  Lee to Chris

• “A perfect marriage doesn't mean the people in it are perfect. Usually it means that they both overlook each other's imperfections.”

  Lee to Chris

• “---- But pay attention, will you, after I go back for third quarter?”

  Janice to her brother, Joey

• “How can any marriage possibly last, given the divorce rate in this country? If you love somebody, you have faith in them, you marry them assuming it will last because you've both said it will.”

  Lee to her mother and sister, Sylvia

• “Yes, I suppose you do. I've been around so long, what other choice do you have?”

  Lloyd to Lee at supper.

• “Tell him hi from me. And if he says yes, tell him he better be able to pee in the toilet bowl without getting any on the floor if he knows what's good for him.”

  joey to Lee on the phone.

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Anoka Police Department: Where Christopher is employed, has been for nine years.
• Lee's home at 1225 Benton Street in Anoka, MN.: This home was the scene of many events in this book, one of them being a Fourth of July family gathering, where Judd Quincy was invited to join them. Chris felt that seeing how a good family interacted would show Judd what a good life could be.Others were normal, family things like doing dishes after a home-cooked meal, discussions of things bothering someone or making them happy. This was where Christopher spent many hours trying to get over the loss of his best friend, absorbing the warmth of Greg's mother's hominess and strength, learning to love her as a woman.This was later the scene of a special supper hosted by Lloyd Reston and his grandson Joey, hoping that at least some would attend.
• Christopher's apartment, Cutter's Grove, in Anoka, MN: Chris had shared this apartment with Greg for two years and had grown close with him. the apartment was new when Chris first moved in and he insisted that any roommate would help him keep it clean and neat. Furniture was comfortable, not just the "pick-up" stuff that many bachelors lived with. This apartment was often where Chris and Lee would end up for a quick meal together and figured in their lives as they grew closer.
• Chris Lallek's home as a child: A sleazy apartment above an appliance store, a half block off Main Street. A warped and weathered stairway led up to it from an alley below. The Red Oak grocery store was next door, where Chris often helped the owner go through waste produce,saving what he could to cook for his little sister later. About a block away and down one level from the sidewalk was "The Hole" (Chris and Jeannie's name for it), the bar room where their parents bought their booze each day.
• Peg and Orrin Hillier's home (Lee's parent's): Several miles north of Anoka, beside the Rum River on four acres covered with red oaks. A long curved driveway led to the single-story, sprawling, salmon-colored brick house. It had much class and good taste, was once featured in Better Homes & Gardens. The families spent Thanksgiving there for dinner and Chris had accepted Peg Hiller's invitation, unknown to Lee.
• Bellingrath Gardens, Mirror Lake in Mobile, Alabama: A beautiful place brimming with azaleas, where a special, small wedding was held.
• Minnesota
• Denver
• Main Street

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. LaVyrle Spencer (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Add a note to help parents select a book for a child.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Romance › Contemporary

More Books Like This edit see section history