The Hypnotist's Love Story

The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty

I needed a good story the end of August as one last summer-hurrah before school started. :)  I've said before, and I'll say again, that Moriarty knows people, so I love her characterization.

As usual, she tucks little nuggets of truth in her story, such as the observation that there are different types of friends for different occasions--some you call when things are going badly, others you call when things are going well--or how easily friendships can slip through your fingers if you aren't purposeful and intentional about nurturing relationships.

Then there was the sobering observation of "do-gooders", "as my mother used to call certain ladies from our church:  the ones with saintly smiles who dropped off casseroles and bags of secondhand clothes but were always too busy being charitable to other needy folks to accept Mum's offer of a cup of tea" (402).  This quote really made me think.  Often we get so busy that we miss the relational aspect of serving others--the relational aspect which just happens to be the most important aspect.  Doing more without relationship is perhaps more damaging than good.

She also sprinkles these humorous little truths throughout her stories such as one friend asking another "How do you make a man do something without nagging?" while the other responded "That is the billion-dollar question."  This one made me laugh out loud.