Rain Song (20 page)
P
INEAPPLE
C
HUTNEY
1 fresh pineapple
1 cup water
salt to taste
1 cup brown sugar
4–6 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
3 tablespoons vinegar
Peel the pineapple and slice into bite-sized pieces. Cook over low heat in 1 cup of water with salt. Bring to boil. Let boil for three to four minutes. Add sugar, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Stir constantly and simmer for ten minutes. Remove from stove and add lemon juice, powdered cinnamon, and vinegar. Let cool and then spoon into mason jars. Seal tightly.
Recipe can be doubled for any family reunion.
No work is ever accomplished without the critique and guidance of others. For spending long Tuesday nights with my chapters, I want to thank the Six Serious Scribes—Julie, Martha, Catherine, Dianne, Katharine, and Kim. For believing in me so that my feet can enter the door to the novel publishing club, my gratitude goes to my agent, Kristin Lindstrom, and my editor, Charlene Patterson. And to the woman who gave me a pedicure at the spa years ago, thank you for encouraging me not to give up.
Alice J. Wisler,
daughter of missionary parents, was born and raised in Japan. Since graduating with a B.S. in social work, she has worked in a group home in Pennsylvania and taught English-as-a-Second Language at a refugee camp in the Philippines and a church school in Japan. In 1997, after the death of her son, Daniel, she founded Daniel’s House Publications, an organization to help other bereaved parents and siblings. She gives workshops across the country on Writing the Heartache, believing that writing through pain is an essential tool to healing. She lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her three children.
Rain Song
is her first novel.
Q
UESTIONS FOR
C
ONVERSATION
1. All her life Nicole has pushed away anything to do with Japan. Why does Nicole fear Japan so much? Is her fear justified? Is there any place you particularly dislike because of something that happened there?
2. Nicole’s feelings about Monet change the more she gets to know the little girl. Have you ever found beauty in someone you once thought irritating? Has a child ever surprised you with his/her talent or intelligence? Have you ever dealt with a hard-to-diagnose condition?
3. Do you have a family member you never got to meet due to his/her death that you wish you had been able to know? What has captivated you about this relative?
4. Nicole has to come to terms with her past so she can welcome her future. Have you ever had to do this? Do you think Nicole handled it well? Do you think Nicole’s life will be different now that she knows more about her family history?
5. Do you attend family reunions or get-togethers? What do you like and not like about them? Do you consider family togetherness important?
6. What are some traditions that keep your family united?
7. What does Nicole value in her life? What do you value in your life?
8. Nicole’s father is prone to alcohol abuse and depression, and often disappoints Nicole. Why do you think he has never been able to get over Nicole’s mother’s death? How do you handle those in your family who are hard to deal with?
9. Nicole heads to the beach to consider Harrison’s request to come to Japan. When you have a problem to ponder, do you have a special place you go to think? What do you like about this place? If you could visit one country you’ve never been to, which one would it be?
10. What do you think of Ducee’s Southern Truths? What bits of wisdom have other people given you? Do you have any of your own “Southern Truths”?
11. Do you see a future for Harrison and Nicole? Why or why not?
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