Log #6

Book: The Life List

Author: Lori Nelson Spielman

Pages: 1-74

            Our group chose the book The Life List. It is a story where the mother of a marketing director, Brett Bohlinger, died and left a list of requirements, which are dreams of Brett at fourteen, for Brett to achieve them in order for her to receive her inheritance. In fact, her mother left a message to the new CEO, the sister-in-law of Brett, Catherine, to fire Brett.

            I think her mother is a cruel person, at first, because she did not give Brett the position of CEO but to Catherine. As I was reading through the scene where the attorney, Brad Midar, is announcing the heritage, I was kind of upset and hurting. I felt it was not fair to Brett as a daughter, and Brett must be very hurt and had the feeling of being isolated.

            However, as I keep on reading, I understand why her mother did not give Brett her part of inheritance.

            First, Brett claimed that she has done one of the requirements, FALL IN LOVE. Brad read a letter that left by her mother asking that if Andrew, the boyfriend of Brett, is actually her true love. At the moment, I knew that her mother, as an experienced woman, must have known that the love between Brett and Andrew has changed already. Her mother knew that Brett is not living what she really wants deeply inside her heart, instead, she was oppressing herself to cater for the likeness of Andrew.

            Second, Brett was fired by a letter that left by her mother. I think it is because her mother knew that Brett was not going to accept and achieve the list, so she just fired her and forced her to deal with the list of requirements. Brett needs a ‘push’ to chase her dreams and this delicate plan of her mother showed how her mother has put all of her efforts on her more than her brothers.

Now, I have read to a chapter where Brett has complete one of her requirements, PERFORM LIVE, ON A SUPER BIG STAGE. From the details of those chapters, her mother had worked hard on pushing her daughter to live out herself just like how she was in her childhood. Thus, her mother is actually not cruel but love Brett a lot even more than Brett’s brothers.