Special Michael P Raff 9781593307226 Books
Download As PDF : Special Michael P Raff 9781593307226 Books
In the summer of 1970 I met Jill, a shy, young girl from Utah, who was vacationing in California. I made a favorable impression on her but because she was so young and awkward, I kept her at a distance. Once she left, I never expected to see her again. Yet when I saw her a year later, she had blossomed into a stunning woman who I fell hopelessly in love with. This is the story of how Jill and I struggled with the miles between us, with our conflicting lifestyles, hopes, dreams, and with her innate belief that she would die prematurely.
Special Michael P Raff 9781593307226 Books
I thought this book was amazing. I must admit that I know the author, but I wouldn't call this book amazing if I didn't think it was.Special is the true story of the up-and-down relationship of author Michael Raff and his first true love, a young woman named Jill Adams. It's the story of how they came to fall in love, how they coped with their differences in age and lifestyle, and ultimately how Jill's belief that she would die young played out. It is a simple yet multifaceted story of boy meets girl, girl is too young for them to be together, girl grows up and then love blooms. There are many obstacles to their love which they must overcome, and they do. The complexity of the story is in the details and in Michael's honest exposure of his strengths and weaknesses as he grows into manhood.
It is never a secret that Jill dies as she predicted, but it is a secret exactly when and how it happens. By then we've come to know Jill. Losing her may not hurt us the same way it hurts Michael. After all, we've been primed for it while he lived through it, hoping and praying her prediction wouldn't come to pass. But her death does affect us. It makes us think about how we can't always stop something from happening even though we are warned. Why is that? It makes us think about how life goes on and good things are still in store even in the aftermath of tragedy. Thank goodness.
But on second thought, I don't know what it will make you think or feel exactly. We're all different. But I bet it will haunt you at least some, give you pause, and make you wonder about life.
I know I'm going to think about Jill from time to time. Such a brief life. Such a shining star. Such an emotional relationship between her and Michael that happened so many years ago. It is touching that Michael would write this book. I'm glad he did and I'm glad I read it.
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Tags : Special [Michael P. Raff] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In the summer of 1970 I met Jill, a shy, young girl from Utah, who was vacationing in California. I made a favorable impression on her but because she was so young and awkward,Michael P. Raff,Special,Aventine Press,1593307225,ANF: Biography,Biography & Autobiography General,Biography Autobiography,Biography: general,General
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Special Michael P Raff 9781593307226 Books Reviews
Note despite the similarity in names, I am not the author, but I am a distant relative--we have actually met once.
Last week I finished reading this book. It is a first person narrative and a memoir describing the development of a deep love between the author and a beautiful young woman named Jill, but the relationship ends in tragedy. The story is well told, easy to read, and interesting throughout. The author does a good job of creating the milieu and mental turmoil of a young man trying to find his way in life. And he convincingly portrays the unanticipated stumble into, and recognition of, a strong emotional bond with an exceptional young woman. I have suffered unexpected losses in my family, so the final part of the book resonated especially deeply with me. I identified very strongly with the fog and vertigo of loss and grief. This is a good story and a fine tribute.
Michael Raff's book will warm your heart and make you shed some tears. It's a heartfelt tribute to the love of his life, a radiant, beautiful young woman named Jill Adams, who died in a car accident at the age of 19.
This is not a spoiler alert. Michael's book starts with this sentence "Three weeks after her funeral, I woke up and saw Jill standing by my bedroom doorway." Then, for the rest of his meticulously narrated book, he recreates the brief but glorious love he shared with Jill for the four years they knew one another. The book takes the reader through the highs and lows of their chaste love affair. As much an autobiography as a biography, we witness Michael's coming of age as he awkwardly but lovingly shepherds Jill into adulthood. Coming from a humble background, Michael faced rejection from some of Jill's family and friends, but Michael, buoyed by Jill's devotion to him and her faith in his devotion to her, persevered in his courtship of the only woman who had ever boosted him above his own relentless self-doubts. At the time of her death, they were engaged to be married a mere five months hence.
Special is punctuated throughout with Michael Raff's simple but deep ruminations on life. Shortly before Jill's death, he has a vivid dream of her accident that turns out to be spot-on accurate. Though we, the readers, know from the beginning that Jill died an untimely death, we still benefit from reading everything prior to and after this tragedy. This book reminds us all of the transiency of life, and the huge importance of loving deeply, of appreciating simple events in the company of our beloveds, of not taking life for granted. Yes, we've heard these admonitions before, but we often forget. We can be grateful to Michael for sharing his grief and love with us, and for reminding us to be mindful of all this.
"Special" is a wonderful, thought-provoking story of a love that struggles to fully blossom despite, time, distance and circumstances.
Mike Raff relates his real-life romance when he was a young man. It's as much of a soul-searching journey as it is a romance that will capture your attention and not let go until the final page. His use of disparate events in his life and that of his girlfriend Jill is quite remarkable, and the development of the relationship - especially since we know its tragic conclusion - is excellent and progresses rapidly. There are no dragging, hand-wringing moments to distract from the inevitability of how the romance ends,
Mike's love story actually makes one think how all our lives are touched and influenced by small events and seemingly harmless decisions.
Special is wonderfully and touchingly written. It's not overdone, not too touchy-feely, and nothing is omitted as Mike dissects his romance, including how he may have handled situations differently.
This is a solid, well-written, introspective look at a romance that could be any of us. It's a really great love story. I don't think I've ever had anyone love me like Jill loved Mike.
And you don't have to be a woman to really appreciate this book. It's that good.
Rocky McAlister
I thought this book was amazing. I must admit that I know the author, but I wouldn't call this book amazing if I didn't think it was.
Special is the true story of the up-and-down relationship of author Michael Raff and his first true love, a young woman named Jill Adams. It's the story of how they came to fall in love, how they coped with their differences in age and lifestyle, and ultimately how Jill's belief that she would die young played out. It is a simple yet multifaceted story of boy meets girl, girl is too young for them to be together, girl grows up and then love blooms. There are many obstacles to their love which they must overcome, and they do. The complexity of the story is in the details and in Michael's honest exposure of his strengths and weaknesses as he grows into manhood.
It is never a secret that Jill dies as she predicted, but it is a secret exactly when and how it happens. By then we've come to know Jill. Losing her may not hurt us the same way it hurts Michael. After all, we've been primed for it while he lived through it, hoping and praying her prediction wouldn't come to pass. But her death does affect us. It makes us think about how we can't always stop something from happening even though we are warned. Why is that? It makes us think about how life goes on and good things are still in store even in the aftermath of tragedy. Thank goodness.
But on second thought, I don't know what it will make you think or feel exactly. We're all different. But I bet it will haunt you at least some, give you pause, and make you wonder about life.
I know I'm going to think about Jill from time to time. Such a brief life. Such a shining star. Such an emotional relationship between her and Michael that happened so many years ago. It is touching that Michael would write this book. I'm glad he did and I'm glad I read it.
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