It’s a mothers’ worst nightmare: the death of a child. A tragic Jet Ski accident makes this nightmare reality for Ellen Banks, setting her on a journey of survival, a journey for hope, and the struggle to find peace in a world torn apart.
Ellen Banks has had her share of hardship. A single mother of two boys on the cusp of adolescence, she has developed strength in ritual and joy at the simple things in life. As she begins to relax, sip some wine, and watch the children swim in the lake at an annual trip to her longtime friend’s cottage, her world is suddenly shattered when a Jet Ski strikes her youngest boy.
As the reality of her loss sets in, she is consumed with the desire to seek justice by charging the young man responsible for the accident. As reporters, depositions, and the trial preoccupy her, she is oblivious to what she is losing: the son she still has.
Ellen struggles to work through her pain, maintain some sanity, cherish the son that remains, and find forgiveness. Suddenly she sees clearly what she must do, what James would want her to do, and in this she finds release.
All The Numbers captures great pain, powerful in showing the strength and resilience of spirit and beautiful in portraying the complications in emotions. Not for the faint at heart, this book should be read with a box of Kleenex at your side. Judy Merrill Larsen has a gift for drawing the reader into her story and never letting them go.