Matters of Chance: A NovelHarper Collins, 2009 M10 13 - 450 pages Matters of Chance is a glorious, aptivating novel about Morgan and Maude Shurtliff, who fall in love and marry in the years before World WarII. Unable to have children of their own, Morgan and Maude adopt twin girls. The four go home to their beautiful house in the country outside ofNew York City and begin to settle into what they hope will be a long and happy life. When the twins are still young, Morgan is called to serve inWorld War II, leaving Maude to raise her daughters alone. Jeannette Haien has rendered Morgan's war experiences with astonishing detail, just as she has captured the American post-war era with a precision that is unrivaled in recent fiction. |
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Common terms and phrases
afternoon Ansel Shurtliff answered arms asked began called Callie captain Caroline and Julia Caroline's Chandler Cleveland Dennis dinner Doctor Leigh door Durban eyes face father feel friends front gaze Geoffrey Barrows George Colt Good-bye hand Harold Teen Hatherton head heard Julia and Caroline kissed Kissel knew Lawrence Letitia Lewis Grant Lillie Ruth living look Lucy lunch Maud Maud's mind minutes Miss Sly months Morgan thought Morgie morning mother never night Pamela Ralph remember Russian Tea Room ship Sidney silence sitting Sly's smile sound spoke stay stood story's Stubbins sure Sutter Sylvia talk tell Tessa Thank There's thing Tilden-Herne told took turned twins V-E Day voice waiting walked watch week window wonder words York Zenobia
Popular passages
Page 159 - WHEN the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.
Page 129 - And often did beguile her of her tears, When I did speak of some distressful stroke That my youth suffer'd. My story being done, She gave me for my pains a world of sighs : She swore, in faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange, 'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful : She wish'd she had not heard it, yet she wish'd That heaven had made her such a man...
Page 121 - Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross, To see a fine lady upon a white horse; Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes.
Page 287 - I crossed a moor, with a name of its own And a certain use in the world no doubt, Yet a hand's-breadth of it shines alone 'Mid the blank miles round about: For there I picked up on the heather, And there I put inside my breast A moulted feather, an eagle-feather ! Well, I forget the rest.
Page 287 - AH, did you once see Shelley plain, And did he stop and speak to you? And did you speak to him again? How strange it seems, and new!
Page 128 - I ran it through, even from my boyish days, To the very moment that he bade me tell it. Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances ; Of moving accidents by flood and field ; Of hair-breadth 'scapes i...