If Only
A most peculiar tale, "The Scenic Route" (by binnie kirshenbaum ) weaving back and forth in time, through the lives of the main character (the narrator) and her family. While the story weaves through several generations it take place primarily during a few months of travel through Europe. Here is an excerpt of what I read this morning while traveling nowhere on the stationary exercise bike: "As we lay on that feather bed, my head resting on Henry's shoulder, I asked him, "If you could do your life over, do you think you'd do everything the same?" "I'd like to say no," he told me, "I'd like to say I'd do plenty of things different, but I can't say that because I need to believe otherwise." "You need to believe otherwise?" "Exactly, I need to believe in predetermination. If I acknowledge free will, I'd have only myself to blame. And who could live with that?" he asked. I am not one to settle eas...