Instant Family DVD with Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne

     Pete and Ellie are searching for more in their lives after having established careers and achieving a certain amount of success.  Should they start a family? So begins this funny and loving movie.

     Their adventure into foster care is fraught with problems and entanglements. Just when it seems things are going okay, a new disaster sets in. This movie is inspired by a true story and I really liked it. I think the whole family would enjoy it—however, it is rated PG13.

Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon

84-year-old Florence has fallen in her apartment at Cherry Tree nursing home.  While waiting for the paramedics, her thoughts go to her best friend Elsie and the buried secrets that may surface.  Relying on her fragile memories, Flo is determined to find out if the new resident is who he claims to be…  Having been a psychiatrist, Joanna Cannon explores dementia and the bonds of friendship.  The story is filled with humor, mysteries and tenderness.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

I've enjoyed every one of Lisa See's books that I've read, and this one is no exception.  "The Island of Sea Women" tells the story of the women divers on the Korean island of Jeju.  It follows the lives of Young-sook and Mi-ja, best friends who come from very different backgrounds.  It begins in the 1930s, under Japanese occupation, and follows them through WWII and the Korean war, into modern times.  Their friendship is tested and strained through events that no one could have foreseen, and only much later in their lives is the entire story understood.

I also learned about the matri-focal culture of the haenyeo, the women divers, which I had never heard of.  While they still needed sons to perform ancestor worship, and in modern times would never be head of the Fishing Association (a man would), the Jeju divers were strong women who did hard labor diving in the sea while the men took care of the children.  Women were used to making their own decisions, making money, and being in charge.

I thought this was one of See's most interesting book, and highly recommend it!