The Other Side of Air
Aug 18, 2006
The Other Side of Air
by: Jeanne Braselton
Ballentine Books
Publication Date: August 29, 2006
This story is actually written by two people. Jeanne started writing it and was about 3/4ths of the way thru (I believe) when she died. Kaye Gibbons, a friend of hers and also an author, finished the story for her. I will say though that I did not notice anywhere a significant variation in the writing as happens sometimes in duel writing. The "flow" continued as it was.
This story is set in Rome, Georgia and begins when Katy and Ephraim are 8 years old. He is a very poor boy from the wrong side of town and she is the daughter of a well-to-do couple who believe strongly in good works. Ephraim is immediately taken under Katy's parents wings and from there friendship and love grow.
The time of the story is set many years later when they are both elderly. Katy is in the process of dying from a bad heart.
Their son, Wyatt, lives in California and is filled with bitterness and insecurity about his life. He visits rarely.
Because Wyatt is so distant, both in nature and in location, and because she and Ephraim have led such clearly defined rolls in their marriage, (Ephraim has never cleaned nor cooked in his entire life) Katy very much fears what will befall him when she does die. She has overheard her son, on one of his rare visits, claiming that Ephraim will be moved to Florida into a retirement home.
Katy decides to find her replacement so that Ephraim will not just wither up and die himself when she's gone.
Enter Rose. She does many, many jobs, trying to make ends meet. She's big and brash and caring. She needs a home and companionship herself. Katy feels that she's the one for her husband. Not for marriage, but for companionship and to care for him. She and Rose come to an agreement about what's to happen after her death.
Several months later Katy passes on.
The rest of the book involves Rose bringing peace to a family, trying to bring them back together and keep peace, all while they wonder who this outsider is that is suddenly in their house.
Katy watches the whole thing from "The other side of air".
This is a very nice story about families rediscovering themselves and their love for each other. Finding out how to help, support, lean on and guide each other in times of grief and trouble.
It's not a large book, under 200 pages, but it leaves you with a very good feeling at the end.
