It is one of my favourite books, one I would re-read every summer. A story line to sink into and lose yourself in. A tale believable and unbelievable all at the same time. And a source of constant inside jokes between my sister and I, like “keep passing the open windows”. Shared with a knowing smile to the other who had a rough day.
“So we dream on. Thus we invent our lives. We give ourselves a sainted mother, we make our father a hero; and someone’s older brother and someone’s older sister – they become our heroes too. We invent what we love and what we fear. There is always a brave lost brother – and a little lost sister, too. We dream on and on: the best hotel, the perfect family, the resort life. And our dreams escape us almost as vividly as we can imagine them… That’s what happens, like it or not. And because that’s what happens, this is what we need: we need a good, smart bear… Coach Bob knew it all along: you’ve got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows.” ~ John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire