처음 이책을 봤을때 그리 특별해 보이지 않았어요.

오히려 책 겉표지가 무척 촌스럽다고 생각했으니깐요.

하지만 첫페이지를 살짝 읽어보는 순간 가슴이 뭉클하고 다 읽어보고 싶다는 생각을 했습니다.

11살 윌이라는 남자아이가 자신의 여동생과 함께 트럭에 치이게 되어요.

하늘을 향해 날아가는 동생 웨니의 뒤를 쫒아 윌로 가지만 문득 부모님 생각에 발 길을 돌리게 됩니다.

그리고 자신만 살아남았다는 자책감에 힘들어하지요.

자신의 동생에게 편지를 보내는 일기를 적으면서 윌의 상황, 그리고 부모님의 상황을 엿보게 됩니다.

사랑하는 동생을, 사랑하는 자녀를 잃은 가족의 삶은 무척 힘들고 서로에게 상처를 주는것 같습니다.

결국, 윌을 통해서 윌의 부모님은 마음의 치유를 하게 되고, 윌 역시 주변의 상황을 통해 부모님을 이해하며 상처를 치료합니다.

읽는동안 가슴이 참 아팠어요.

사랑하는이의 죽음은 가장 가까운이에게 큰 상처가 되는걸 충분히 이해가 갔거든요.

읽는동안 윌의 부모가 죽은 웨니 때문에 살아있는 윌을 잃어버리는건 아닌가 걱정했지만, 잘 해결됩니다.

책의 후반부쯤가면 왜 책 겉표지가 이런지 알게 되어요.

아이의 편지 형식이라 영어가 그리 어렵지 않아서 더 좋았습니다.

[책 겉표지 - 윌과 웨니]

[책속]

[책 뒷편]

Is there life after death?

Will North thinks so. He and his little sister, Wenny, both died when they were hit by a truck. Will remembers seeing Wenny flying ahead of him toward a golden light. He almost followed her, until he remembered his parents and was pulled back into life. But now Will is angry. He blames himself for Wenny's death, believing there must have been something he could have done to prevent the accident. He's mad at his grieving parents, who act as if they can never be happy again. And he is furious with Wenny, not only for insisting on going with him to the store on the day of the accident, but also for leaving him behind. Will thinks that talking about his near-death experience may comfort his parents and help heal his family. But no one seems willing to listen to him.

Will's pastor tells him that when he's angry, he writes letters to God, but Will decides he'd rather write letters to Wenny. So he does, in a touching, funny, and honest correspondence that will make readers cry, wonder, hope...and believe.


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북마크하기찜하기 thankstoThanksTo
 
 
보슬비 2006-03-06 10:59   좋아요 0 | 댓글달기 | URL
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Today is October 16. It's been ten days since I died and came back. That's why I wrote "Day 10" on the top of this letter. I want to keep track of how many days I've been alive agin.



152

'It's clled a near-death experience, Will."

"What?"

"What you had. Other people have had that happen to them. They remember things they saw when they died. Most of them talk about seeing a bright light."