book & a movie

Yesterday, just before leaving our hotel to drive home, I started our book club book for June, one that I was really looking forward to reading. Push is the name of the book, it has since been made into a major motion picture. It was a short book, and an easy read, but the content was difficult as it is a novel about an african american teenager in Harlem who is illiterate, yet desires to learn. More than that, she has been abused beyond anything I can even wrap my mind around, sexually, physically, mentally and emotionally by her mother and father. She is pregnant with her second child by her father when the book begins. I was almost afraid to read the book after hearing from many people how it made them sick to their stomachs to read of the abuse, but I think that prepared me because as I was reading I kept thinking, this must not be the worst of it, it's going to get worse, when in fact I was reading the worst of it. I loved the book, I devoured it in one day. To me (those of you who have read it, let me know if you agree), the story wasn't as much about the abuse as it was Precious' determination to rise above her circumstances and learn, to better herself for her children, to not rely on a life on welfare as her life's destiny. A fantastic story.
I've been telling myself that I would see the movie after I read the book, so this afternoon, I rented the movie while the kids were occupied outside and Keith was watching the golf tournament on TV, hunkered down in the playroom on the big screen, and enjoyed the movie. As always, the movie wasn't as good as the book...but I am glad I watched it and did so within a short time from reading the book.
If you can handle the tough subject matter, explicit abuse details and lots of cursing, it really is an inspirational read!