The Photograph By Penelope Lively

There is a strange story about this book.

I ordered it off of Books Free . . . awhile ago. I am not sure how long ago I put it on my list. Books Free works just like Netflix and I normally have about 10 books on my waiting list to be sent. I don’t remember adding the book to my list, nor do I remember why I would have. Once I received the book it sat on my counter for about a month. During Thanksgiving, my sister was visiting and noticed it on the counter. She told me that she too had this book from Books Free and hadn’t read it, although she had had it for awhile. She also mentioned that her husband saw it on the dresser and randomly commented that the book “freaked him out”. It’s very weird for me to have books for so long without reading them, but suddenly I felt that there was a reason we both had the book (without consulting each other) and knew that there was probably a message-from who or what I’d rather not say. In any case, it was still January before I picked the book up to finally read it-making sure that my sister did the same. I finished it, though I am not sure she has started. It was with these preceding events that I read the book.

The story is told from multiple perspectives: a husband, a sister, a lover/brother-in-law, a niece and friends. Kath is the main character, though Kath is dead. Her husband, quite by accident, finds a photo of her holding hands with another man-her brother-in-law. As the new information comes to light-everyone that knew Kath is finding that their memories are being re-written. They now have to look at their past, their relationships and themselves in a different way.

You do not find out until almost the last chapter how Kath dies, though I guessed about half-way through the book. Today someone told me “Perception is reality” and although I am not sure I agree with that thought, it certainly brings to mind this book. Kath was perceived by the people in her life a certain way. Everyone saw her differently, but in the end, it turns out they had it all wrong. Suddenly the characters memories of their times with her are no longer happy. I don’t think, though, the memories were sad-I am not sure what the memories were changed to. I had to wonder-should the new information change the happy life you had? From her husband’s perspective-Kath and him led a wonderfully happy life and had a great marriage. Perception is reality? Should he now be devastated that their marriage wasn’t what he thought it was? Should the peace he made with her death and his subsequent life without her be ruined?

I don’t think our minds work that way. As my sister always says-you can’t UN-know something. Once we have that knowledge it will color everything we know-it can’t be erased. Perception is changed, therefore the reality is changed.

I really liked this book. Lively does a wonderful job at building all of the characters so you understand the why and the how. In the end, I felt like I still had a few unanswered questions about Kath-but I felt like it was supposed to be that way. Dead men tell no tales. You can never really know the “why” after someone is gone.

You have to make peace with your new perception.