The phrase “once in a blue moon” describes an event that only happens once. It may be used to describe the weather or beautiful occurrences of nature like the eclipse. Oftentimes, the phrase is used to describe a phenomenon that happens to a person. It can be something miraculous or a thing that never occurs just to anyone, but it happens to only one. So what are the chances that someone’s dream becomes a possibility under strange circumstances?
Debra Lowry’s phenomenal novel “Once in A Very Blue Moon,” tells the story of Brianna Nelson, who was born under the “Blue Moon,” which only happens rarely and sometimes not at all. According to her psychic Grandmother Lilly, Brianna would be walking under the blue moon, which means that she would trudge a difficult path of life. Strangely enough, her father Mel was an alcoholic who was kind when sober but became mean and unpredictable when under the influence of alcohol. While her Grandmother Lilly did what she could, she was bound to a promise she had made to Brianna’s mother, Ivy. Forcing Brianna to survive life without any help, often being the adult in every situation. Fortunately, Brianna has friends like Bobby, who would protect her and guide her, and Rosie, whose faithfulness and kindness made Brianna’s life a little less miserable.
The story, although fiction, can be relatable to those who have an impossible dream like Brianna. Faced with unimaginable circumstances, one can only fathom what life looks like when forces come together to prevent a dream from becoming a reality. However, like Brianna, when faced with such difficulties, we become courageous, knowing that no such dream is impossible without a little nudge and risk-taking. Lowry’s playful narrative will take readers to a journey of life, full of events, occasional comedy, and tests of courage in which Brianna partakes. The readers will see not only a character full of misery but one full of passion and love to live a life that proves to be difficult for her at every turn. With characters like Bobby and Rosie, there is balance and peace knowing that one cannot go through life even with the circumstances without help and kindness from the people we choose to be with.
What “Once in A Very Blue Moon,” tells us is that even with our fates being bound to misery, it is also unpredictable, and the paths we choose to take, the life we live, and the people surrounding us will determine the course of our lives. It tells us that Brianna is just an example out of a thousand who goes through life with so much difficulty but chooses to fight these forces even if the odds are against them. Lowry not only gives an inspirational story but gives the readers an insight into what life really is and teaches them that we should trust our intuition and keep going, no matter the circumstances.
Lowry herself went through a time where life was turbulent and unpredictable, even now that she is suffering from an autoimmune disease that she has managed to conquer in her own ways. She tells the readers that life can be difficult, but life can also be fun if we know how to survive it in our own little ways.
Check her out at: debralowrycin.com.
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