The Things We Cherish by
Pam Jenoff
This is a story about the human cost of World War 11. It is
a story as old as time. One brother falling in love with another brother’s wife,
the other brother in love with mankind in general but can’t find time to show
his love for his family. Jenoff tells the story by moving back and forth through
time and does it beautifully. She uses the dynamics between brothers to move
the story along. She goes back to the turn of the 20th century to create
the setting that will eventually lead to the story’s conclusion. Her writing is clean and easy to follow. Jenoff demonstrates that things are not always
what they appear to be, both in the past and in the future, and it is always
foolish to jump to quick and easy conclusions based on appearances. This is a simple story told with tenderness
and in the end, broke my heart. I enjoyed it.
