Review
After reading
Random Acts of Heroic Love, it's easy
to understand why it was chosen as a Richard and Judy Book Club pick (Britain's
equivalent of an Oprah Book Club pick). Two intense love stories are told from
male viewpoints, each one inspired by events in author Danny Scheinmann's life
and family history. Leo's story (1992) is told in third person and Moritz's
story (1918) is a first-person narration. The stories are told in alternating
chapters with two distinct voices, and twine together as the novel seeks answers
to difficult questions about love and loss.
The contemporary love story takes place when Leo, age 25, loses Elini, the love
of his young life, in a bus crash. Although Leo was with her, he has no
recollection of the event. However, as his memory returns, he remembers that he
insisted on choosing her...
Beyond the Book
Animal Behaviors in Grief and Mating
There have been many observations of
elephants grieving. In Joyce
Poole's
Coming of Age With Elephants, Poole illustrates the depth of elephant
grieving. A clan of elephants was moving towards newer territory, when suddenly
one of the elephants fell over. Soon enough the other elephants noticed that one
of their group was in trouble. Arriving by the elephant's side, they realized
she was not moving. They attempted to get her up on her feet but to no avail.
The elephants then left the dead body and moved on. The next day, elephants
returned to mourn and pay homage to the lost friend, family member, clan member
and elephant. As observed by Poole, when an elephant walks...
