Tips for Tuesday - Books: The Favor & Movies: Crescent Gang

 We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any products, and/or visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

Books: The Favor

Today we are recommending The Favor by Adele Griffin. Nora and her husband are living in a tiny apartment, struggling with their bills and their inability to have a child, then socialite, Evelyn Elliot comes into the vintage dress shop where Nora works. The two women strike up an immediate kinship. Nora begins helping Evelyn out with things for which Evelyn insists upon paying her. Then, suddenly Evelyn decides that she wants to carry a baby for Nora and her husband, and everything changes and not necessarily for the better.

This is a compelling book that explores the nature of friendship between women. The friendship between Nora and Evelyn is contrasted with that of Nora and her college friend, Meg. The relationship between Meg is much more easygoing and relaxed and on more equal footing than that of Nora and Evelyn. Not only have Nora and Meg known each other longer, but they also have more similar backgrounds and as a result the whole nature of their friendship is different.  

The book is also an exploration of the economic toll the struggle to have a child can be on a family and the different routes that a couple can take to have a family. It serves as a reminder that even for couples who follow the same basic root to parenthood, it can be a vastly different experience.  This is illustrated in the way Nora's co-worker, Frankie's path to parenthood is so similar to her own and yet also so different and not just because he is part of a same-sex couple. All in all, this is quite an engrossing novel that really makes you think about a lot of things.

Movies: Crescent Gang 

Today we are recommending Crescent Gang. This is a really heartwarming story about a group of foster kids who take matters into their own hands when they learn their group home is about to be closed and they are going to be split up. Although this does not seem like the most realistic story, and it is not likely that things would work out as easily in life as they did in this film, it is still very moving. Anyone who loves stories of found family will especially enjoy this film. 

The movie also highlights the sad plight of real foster children. Their lives can so easily be uprooted by adults who don't always have their best interests at heart.  Bringing this issue to light makes this film much more important film than it may seem on the surface.

Crescent Gang is available today on video and On Demand.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

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