"picoult, jodi, keeping faith" - читать интересную книгу автора (Picoult Jodi)

KEEPING FAITH

PROLOGUE

August 10, 1999
Under normal circumstances, Faith and I should
not be home when my mother calls and invites us to come
see her brand-new coffin.
"Mariah," my mother says, clearly
surprised when I pick up the phone. "What
are you doing there?"
"The grocery store was closed." I sigh.
"The sprinklers in the produce section had a
flood. And the dry cleaner had a death in the
family."
I do not like surprises. I live by lists.
In fact, I often imagine my life like a
September loose-leaf binder--neatly slotted
and tabbed, with everything still in place. All this I
attribute to a degree in architecture and my
fervent intent to not turn into my mother as I grow
older. To this end, every day of the week has a
routine. Mondays I work on the frames of the
tiny dollhouses I build. Tuesdays I
build the furnishings. Wednesdays are for errands,
Thursdays for housecleaning, and Fridays for tending
to emergencies that crop up during the week. Today,
a Wednesday, I usually pick up Colin's
shirts, go to the bank, and do the food shopping. It
leaves just enough time to drive home, unload the
groceries, and get to Faith's one o'clock ballet
class. But today, due to circumstances beyond my
control, I have entirely too much time on my
hands.
"Well," my mother says, in that way of hers.
"It seems you're fated to come for a visit."
Faith suddenly bounces in front of me.
"Is it Grandma? Did she get it?"
"Get what?" It is ten o'clock, and already I have
a headache.
"Tell her yes," my mother says on the other
end of the phone line.
I glance around the house. The carpet needs