Learning to Stay
Ratings1
Average rating4
15
Ratings1
Average rating4
Elise Sabato is proud of her husband, Brad, for serving his country...and grateful when he returns home to her. But the traumatic brain injury he suffered in Iraq has turned him from a thoughtful, brilliant, and patient man into someone quite different....someone who requires more care and attention than Elise can give while working in a demanding law firm. And when Brad ends up on his family’s farm, hundreds of miles away, she wonders where their marriage is headed. Elise must decide between the life she always wanted and the life she seems to be living…until she finds inspiration in the most unlikely of places: a lovable dog named Jones who teaches her that when the best-laid plans take unexpected turns, sometimes you end up right where you were meant to be.
Reviews with the most likes.
When I found out a theater in Madison, Wisconsin was presenting the world premiere stage adaptation of Ms. Celello's novel, I was encouraged to read the book first before seeing the play.
I'm so glad I did.
Learning to Stay (also set mostly in Madison, Wisconsin) centers on Elise, a 30-something lawyer on the fast track to partnership, is excited for her husband's return from Iraq so the two of them can finally start their own family. However, when her husband Brad returns, it becomes clear that he is suffering from PTSD. Celello's novel boldly asks the question: what does for better or worse mean?
I greatly enjoyed Celello's writing style, and was empathetic to protagonist Elise several times, whether it was her desire to have a baby, her deep love for her husband, her confused feelings for a co-worker, or her heartbreaking lament over whether or not she should leave her husband. Despite the story being a work of fiction (partly inspired by Celello's years of working for the governor and attending military funerals and meeting service members' families), Celello makes you resonate with Elise and her story is Celello's strength in this novel.
I also appreciate the topic Celello chooses to cover, which is that of how military spouses deal with the aftermath and after effects of war and PTSD. The more conversation that can be had, the better chance we have at helping those in need.
Overall, highly recommend to anyone looking for the following:
-Military spouse/military family stories
-Husband/wife, relationship stories
-Madison/Wisconsin authors
-PTSD/after-war stories
