Loving the Life that Is

This is the narrative's central theme, as developed and manifest in the story of its central character and protagonist, Rebecca Davitch. At the beginning of the book, she realizes she is discontented with what her life has become (see "Quotes", p. 1). As the story unfolds, Rebecca struggles to turn her life into what she believes it could and/or should be, putting particular effort into reconnecting with a person and a past that she recalls as being rich with dreams and potential for fulfillment. In other words, she strives to recapture, and reconnect with, the life that was, as opposed to exploring and / or celebrating the value of the life that is. As she pursues reconnection with her past, she encounters a series of increasingly troubling disappointments, but continues her efforts in spite of mounting evidence that they are proving fruitless while, at the...