A Book
While reading the book The Good Lord Bird I thought of my father-in-law. I remembered reading Little Big Man at his suggestion years ago and thinking I bet Steve would like this book. It has a similar historical fiction with extravagant humor. I even believed this to be his favorite book of all time.
I went onto Amazon as I often do and ordered if for him. All of my family and friends are saved in my account file because they usually receive a copy of any book I love and believe they will enjoy or find compelling. It hit send and never thought about it again.
Several months had passed and I was driving through Houston with the children on the way home from Galveston. We stopped for dinner and I asked him if he ever got that book I sent. He was surprised. He told me he did receive it but didn’t know where it had come from. He had heard a story on NPR about the book and made a mental note to buy it.
Then when it showed up he wondered if perhaps the show had some way of tracking what he had been listening to and sent it. He asked his wife Lynne multiple times, did you buy that book for me. The book had no note or tracking information on the package and said it was really strange.
The next time I visited it was Christmas. I asked if he enjoyed the book and he said he was humored and half way through. I explained I bought it because I had found it so absurd and it reminded me of Little Big Man to which he replied. I never read that book. I thought maybe he was losing his mind. My sister-in-law confirmed that he had read Little Big Man and my ex explained that my referral had come from him not his dad.