Sheila LaGrand’s Remembering for Ruth, Part 6: Police, Pizza, and Paparazzi

We’re approaching the conclusion of Sheila LaGrand’s Remembering for Ruth serialized novel, and the pace is quickening. 

The story so far: Paul and Margot Goodharte live in Calfornia, and are caring for Paul's mother, who suffers from Alzherimer's disease. Paul is a pastor; his black sheep brother Matthew shows up and seems to have had something of a black-sheep shedding experience. He becomes interested in next-door neighbor Sue, and the family has a coincidental meeting with Matthew's estranged daughter Amelia. The dog of former neighbors of the Goodhartes is left to them to care for, and Ruth becomes attached to him, naming him Zorro. The dog turns out to be a specially trained schutzhund, and obeys numerous commands -- in German. Amelia is invited to spend some time with the family, and when she arrives, she runs into immediate conflict with Matthew. And then the family discovers Ruth is missing. 

Part Six – Police, Pizza, and Paparazzi – focuses on the search for Ruth. The police are called in, Mrs. Delsey (the church busybody) gets involved and organizes the church’s youth group, and Matthew and Amelia set conflict aside while they search together for Matthew’s missing mother. The publicity-hungry mayor arrives, as does the news-hungry television news crew. The church busybody is only too happy to point the finger of blame at Margot Goodharte (author LaGrand has her do this effortlessly – drawing a picture of a church “type” we may all have experienced).

And then there’s the dog, Zorro – the dog sense something the people don’t. I kept wanting to shout, “Follow the dog! Follow the dog!” But you know how characters in a story are – they never listen to the reader.

I suspect LaGrand is enjoying writing the story. The basic premise – loving and caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease – is a serious one, but LaGrand keeps it from overpowering the characters and the plot. She uses occasional moments of laughter and even hilarity to leaven the seriousness. And she includes recipes of the foods mentioned in the story -- in this installment, they are pizza, crock pot oatmeal, and "Shredded Fiesta Chicken."

I’ll have to wait a few weeks to find out what happens to the church busybody. I have some suggestions, and know a place LaGrand can buy tar and feathers.

Photograph by RonMzr via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.

Sheila Lagrand’s “Remembering for Ruth: A Room for Amelia”

We’ve reached part four in Sheila Lagrand’s Remembering for Ruth: A Room for Amelia.

To recap the story so far:

Paul and Margot Goodharte live in California, and are caring for Paul’s mother, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Paul is a pastor; his black sheep brother Matthew shows up and seems to have had something of a black-sheep shedding experience (or maybe that’s shearing instead of shedding). Matthew becomes interested in next-door neighbor Sue, and the family has a coincidental meeting with Matthew’s estranged daughter Amelia. The dog of former neighbors of the Goodhartes is left to them to care for, and Ruth becomes closely attached to him, naming him Zorro.

In A Room for Amelia, a dog trainer to help the family with Zorro. Actually, the trainer is there to help Margot overcome of fear of dogs, a result of being threatened by a dog when she was a child. The trainer discovers that Zorro is a specially trained dog, known as a schutzhund. Originally designed for German shepherds, the schutzhund program is what we associate today with dogs trained for police work, and includes many other breeds (Zorro in the story is an Airedale).

Lagrand also uses this installment of the serial to show part of the range of experiences an Alzheimer’s patient can have. Ruth moves quickly from normal lucidity to almost complete forgetfulness and back again. She’s talking normally with her family at the kitchen table one moment and then walks out of the shower dripping wet and into the hallway the next, forgetting she’s dripping wet and naked.

Also developing is the relationship between Matthew and Sue. Matthew’s daughter is coming to visit and will stay at Sue’s house, and Matthew helps Sue clean and paint the room. During the painting Sue tells Matthew of her difficult childhood and failed first marriage, and the accidental death of her second husband.

The next installment is coming in July, and I’m waiting to see what will happen when Amelia arrives, what role Zorro’s police training is going to play (I suspect there is one), and how Sue will overcome her fears about marriage to continue what is obviously becoming a love story with Matthew.

Photograph of an Airedale terrier by Charles Rondeau via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.

Sheila Seiler Lagrand’s “Remembering for Ruth: Mitchell Meets Matthew”

Sheila Seiler Lagrand’s “Remembering for Ruth: Mitchell Meets Matthew”

Sheila Lagrand’s serial story continues.

Pastor Paul and Margot Goodharte live in Mitchell, California, where they care for Paul’s mother Ruth, who has Alzheimer’s Disease. In the first installment of this serialized novel, Lagrand set up with the story with a fall and injury for Margot, the return of Paul’s older brother Matthew, and Matthew’s interest in Sue, the next-door neighbor, Sue.

In the second installment, Mitchell Meets Matthew, new elements are introduced. Ruth keeps asking after Amelia, who turns out to be Matthew’s estranged daughter born out of wedlock decades earlier. A neighbor experiences a family tragedy. Matthew’s relationship with Sue continues to grow.

We’re beginning to see the major themes of the story emerge – reconciliation, grace, how a serious illness can provide blessing, and a little romance.

Related: My review of Remembering for Ruth: Paul Loves Snickerdoodles

Sheila Seiler Lagrand’s “Remembering for Ruth: Paul Loves Snickerdoodles”

In the 19^th century, one of the most popular magazine forms was the serial story – publishing succeeding episodes of a novel over an extended period, usually one episode or installment a month. Charles Dickens originally published most of novels this way, and both radio and television borrowed the idea for broadcast programs and soap operas.

I’d heard that the serial form had been making something of a comeback in print, or actually in e-print, especially for e-book readers like Kindle and Nook. But I hadn’t actually seen in until I read Sheila Seiler Lagrand’s Remembering for Ruth: Paul Loves Snickerdoodles (try saying “snickerdoodle” with a straight face; I can’t).

This is the first installment of a serialized offshoot of Yankee Doodle Christmas by Lagrand and Kathy Macias. It takes the characters of that installment and gives them their own further story development (something that’s also familiar from television).

Paul, a pastor, and Margot Goodharte (pay attention to names; it isn’t just the format that’s been adapted from Dickens) live in central California, caring for Paul’s mother Ruth. Ruth has Alzheimer’s, and the way her character is developed by Lagrand is a fine description of an Alzheimer’s patient. Ruth and Margot are making cookies, when Margot goes to the pantry for more sugar. Using a stepladder to reach the ingredient, she falls and is knocked unconscious. Ruth sits and waits patiently for Margot’s return; two hours later, the next-door neighbor comes inside to find the unconscious Margot. Emergency responders are called; Ruth keeps asking if Margot has been shot.

Using the hospital backdrop, Lagrand sets up the story – conflict between Paul and his black sheep older brother Matthew; the church lady determined to help protect Paul’s good name; and what looks like the beginning of a budding romance between Matthew and the next-door neighbor.

Paul Loves Snickerdoodles promises to be a fun, enjoyable read. And there’s even a Snickerdoodle recipe (among others) at the end of the installment.

I still can’t say “snickerdoodle” without smiling.